Hyderabad, Dec 24 (IANS) Students of Osmania University here Thursday attacked Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislators on the campus, protesting the party’s stand on the Telangana statehood issue.
TDP’s senior leader N. Janardhan Reddy fell down and sustained minor injuries as a large number of students hurled footwear when he reached the campus along with some other TDP leaders to express solidarity with the students agitating for a Telangana state to be carved out of Andhra Pradesh.

Janardhan Reddy, legislator E. Dayakar Rao, senior leaders Devender Goud and Kadiam Srihari had gone to the campus after reports that students were injured in clashes with police.

As soon as the TDP leaders reached, they were mobbed by students raising slogans against them. The students wanted to know why they had not quit TDP despite its president N. Chandrababu Naidu doing a u-turn and opposing the Telangana statehood demand.

Even before the TDP leaders could respond, they came under attack. The leaders had to run for cover. Janardhan Reddy, who fell down in the melee was taken to hospital on a motorbike as the rampaging students damaged all six cars of the leaders.

TDP legislators from Telangana have also resigned to protest the central government’s latest statement on the issue, saying the statehood demand had to be reconsidered. However, the TDP is being blamed for the present crisis as it did a u-turn after promising to back the Telangana resolution in the state assembly.