In the wake of the Supreme Court’s harsh comments, the Telangana government has taken some mitigating measures in the case of University of Hyderabad (UoH) to calm down the teachers and students. On Monday, it withdrew the cases registered against the students who agitated over the Kancha Gachibowli lands row. It has also withdrawn the police force from the university.
However, it has decided to take strict action against those who spread fake photos and videos based on artificial intelligence (AI). The government has issued instructions to the top police officers not to ignore anyone who is creating and spreading such photos and videos, no matter who is behind them, and to register cases against everyone as per the law.
On Monday, the Committee of Ministers headed by Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka met with the university teachers and representatives of public organizations. Ministers Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and Sridhar Babu, Congress State Affairs In-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, and Congress Working Committee Special Invitee Vamsichander Reddy participated in the meeting.
Intelligence DG Shivdhar Reddy, Cyberabad Police Commissioner Abhishek Mohanty and law department officials were also present. Representatives of the university faculty association and civil society organizations placed several demands before the Committee of Ministers.
Before the Central Empowered Committee visited the campus, they requested permission to allow a team of expert faculty and researchers to assess the damage and conduct a biodiversity survey in the 400 acres of Kancha Gachibowli land. They said that the JAC leaders would meet the Committee of Ministers only after fulfilling their demands.
Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti responded by saying that a positive decision would be taken on the withdrawal of the cases after knowing the seriousness of the cases. He said that the forces were deployed on the campus only at the request of the university and that they would be removed if the university itself requested it in writing.
Shortly after the meeting, Bhatti announced that the cases against the students were being withdrawn following the appeal of the varsity teachers’ association and public associations. He said that orders have been issued to the police high-ranking officials to withdraw the police forces.
He announced that immediate steps should be taken to withdraw the cases of the two students who are in judicial remand. The Deputy Chief Minister advised the police officials to take precautions so that no legal problems arise in the process of withdrawing the cases. He said that the police forces present in the university are being withdrawn except for 400 acres and that the university should take care of the issue of law and order in the university.
