Hyderabad: The Cyberabad Police on Saturday booked at least 14 students of University of Hyderabad (UoH) for taking part in an anti- CAA rally from UoH to Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) on February 21 this year.

Students part of the protest, received a notice from the Telangana police saying that they may be arrested without a warrant if necessary in relation to an FIR that had been filed against them. The complaint said that students of Hyderabad Central University (HCU) were illegally gathered at MANUU campus and conducted a rally showing placards, slogans against the central government, and gave lectures being deemed as provocative and intended to break tranquillity at the university. The complaint further states that the rally was conducted without permission from either MANUU University authority or from the police.

The FIR invokes Indian Penal Code Sections 143 (unlawful assembly) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) read with Section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).

Students calling it a witch hunt by the Telangana Police have argued that it was only a 100-metre march to MANUU from HCU, and was very peaceful. They say that slogans were raised, but not to violate anybody’s feelings. “The Telangana police have also stooped to the same level as the Delhi Police wherein they target and hunt students who engage politically and raise questions to the state", said a press release by the Student Union body of the university.