NEW DELHI, Apr 27 (UNI): Scores of students and interns of fivemedical colleges here went on an indefinite strike today in protest against the proposed move to provide 27 per cent reservation toOBCs in Central Government educational institutions.
Resident doctors of the five colleges also extended support to the agitating students and decided to stay away from the OPD, affecting services.
Students of Maulana Azad Medical College, Lady Hardinge Medical College, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, University College of Medical Sciences and Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College are boycotting lectures and staying away from OPD services.
The agitating students and interns are demonstrating at India Gate here since morning.
Some students have also decided to boycott the ongoing exaof the second and fourth semester in protest against the move.
Reports of medical students' agitation are also pouring in from other cities.
Yesterday, hundreds of students of the medical colleges clashed with the police after it prevented them from 'petitioning' Union Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh against the reservation policy and road blockade.
The students, were tear-gassed and sprayed with water cannons when they blocked traffic on Janpath, near Hotel Le Meridian crossing.
Mild lathicharge was also resorted to in order to break the 'rasta roko', which lasted for more than one-and-a-half hours.
However, no one was reported injured.
Three rounds of tear-gas shells were fired to disperse those who staged a 'rasta roko' to 'apprise' people on the issue.
Before dispersing, students told mediapersons that they wanted the people to know about the consequences of the reservation policy which was why they blocked traffic.
Kandahar Terrorists freed to save 166 passengers: Advani BHOPAL, Apr 27 (UNI): Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today said three hardcore terrorists were freed at Kandahar only to save the lives of 166 passengers on board the hijacked Indian Airlines flight.
"The government decision to free the terrorists was taken to save the lives of the passengers", he told reporters here during his "Bharat Suraksha Yatra".
"Exchanging terrorists to save the lives of 166 passengers and the Kerala Assembly resolution to free PDP leader Abdul Nasser Madani held on the charge of Coimbatore blasts could not be compared", he said.
As many as 54 lives were lost in the Coimbatore blasts in 1998, Advani said.
