Hyderabad: The University of Hyderabad Students Union on Sunday termed the reports of shifting the campus of the University of Hyderabad to the outskirts of the city to develop an eco park as “the Eco-Park Escapade the Congress government’s latest attempt to derail public education.”

The UoH students union said, “It has come to our attention through several reports in various media outlets that unverified claims are being circulated, stating that the UoH will be relocated to the city outskirts and that the current campus will be transformed into an ecological park. This appears to be a political tactic initiated by the Congress IT Cell to gauge the response of students, academia, and civil society to such a controversial move.”

However, it is imperative to remember that this land is under the possession of UoH specifically for educational purposes. The disputed area holds immense environmental, academic, and cultural significance. Any attempt to repurpose it under the guise of ecological preparations would be strongly opposed, it cautioned.

The UoH Students Union communique further noted that from the “very beginning, the students union has consistently demanded that university land be handed over to the university administration.”

The recent propaganda being circulated by the Congress IT Cell threatens to undermine this legitimate demand and misleads both students and society. This land must remain dedicated solely to the cause of public education. The students union reaffirms its commitment to fighting for land that serves educational purposes while also ensuring the conservation of the campus’s biodiversity.

Further, despite the Congress government’s political and legal attempts to dismantle the students’ rightful claims and movement. However, it has failed—thanks to the timely suo motu intervention by the courts and the strength of a united, organized student movement, it added.

Furthermore, such diversionary tactics and baseless propaganda are not only dishonest but also reflect sheer political cowardice. The students union will not be deterred. “We stand firm in our resolve to protect public education and the ecological integrity of the UoH campus,” it said.