A 30-year-old mason, Gajula Ramu, ended his life by slitting his neck, reportedly anguished by the Centre's decision to create separate Telangana on Monday.
A resident of Proddatur, Kadapa district, he was watching news on television when he slit his neck on Sunday night and succumbed to his injuries in Kurnool General Hospital on Monday.
Ramu is survived by his wife and daughter and his death has sparked off protests and demonstrations by his relatives and the youth.
Elsewhere in the district, police traced the body of a final year degree student S. Janardhan Yadav (20) who ended his life by jumping into the Kundu river reportedly ‘deploring’ the move to create separate Telangana.
Meanwhile, protests continued in the district by agitators supporting a unified Andhra Pradesh. They set fire to a room in a sub-post office at Yerramukkapalle in Kadapa city on Sunday night. Protestors pelted stones at the residence of the Congress official Spokesman N. Tulasi Reddy at Vempalle, Pulivendula constituency.
Leaders of the Congress and Telugu Desam and members of social and students’ organisations and minorities took out numerous mock funeral processions and burnt several effigies of Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
The relay hunger strike by Congress men in front of the Collectorate entered the third day on Monday. They were joined by Telugu Desam party workers and the Joint Action committee of Teachers’ organsiations. All educational institutions in Kadapa remained closed for the fifth day today.
Kadapa Superintendent of Police served notices to the management of schools and colleges to prevent their students from taking part in protests and rallies but it could not stop the students and teachers from taking out a massive rally to the Collectorate.
