Anantapur, April 18: Members of belonging to the district unit of Caste Annihilation Committee on Wednesday took out a padayatra in the town demanding an end to the persisting caste discrimination in various hostels.

The yatra began from Ambedkar statue and reached Amaravathi hostel. The protesters then reached the main building of the JNTU and raised slogans against the prevalent discrimination in the hostels.

Speaking on the occasion, CPM leaders strongly denounced the bias at educational institutions where the students were supposed to be taught about justice and social equality. They took strong exception to the segregation of the hostels on caste lines. They alleged that a section of the teaching community was inciting communal and casteist passions among the student to further their selfish ends.

They strongly denounced the college management’s move to display in the notice board that steps would be taken to wipe out the caste discrimination in colleges from the next academic year and demanded that the lapses in the system be rectified immediately.

They warned of a direct confrontation in the event of inaction on the part of the college managements to end discrimination on caste grounds in the hostels.

CPM district secretary Obulakonda Reddy, Citu district secretary Imtiyaz, town secretary Rambhupal, Students’ Federation of India and DYFI leaders led the protest.