Another student kills himself for Telangana

Tension gripped Osmania University campus on Tuesday after another student committed suicide in protest against the delay in formation of Telangana.

Police said Venugopala Reddy, a MCA student at Lalita College in Uppal area of Hyderabad, poured kerosene and set himself ablaze near Tagore Auditorium in Osmania University on Tuesday morning. Venugopal hailed from Suryapet town of Nalgonda district.

In his suicide note, Reddy said that he was taking his life for the sake of Telangana.

This is latest in series of suicides by students and others in Telangana region during last two months. Srikant Chary, a B Pharmacy student from Nalgonda, was the first to self- immolate early December.

Shocked, thousands of students gathered on the campus and staged a sit-in protest with the body.

Senior TRS legislator T Harish Rao and TDP legislator Nagam Janardhan Reddy were greeted with angry slogans for their failure to force the Speaker to accept their resignations letter even after nearly two months.

The suicide has also cast its shadow on the hunger-strike camp of the legislators at Indra Park in Hyderabad which entered fourth day on Monday. Prof. Keshav Rao Jadhav, a veteran Telangana fighter, addressing the gathering urged legislators to immediately go to the Speaker and force him to accept their resignation and then go to Osmania University.

"There is a body waiting for you. Situation is explosive and any thing can happen any time", he said.

Telangana JAC convenor Prof Kodandaram urged students once again not to resort to suicide. "You are the future of Telangana and we are fighting for your sake," he said.

Similar appeal was made to the students by Students JAC leader Pulla Rao, senior TDP legislators Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and Nagam Janardhan Reddy.