Tension prevailed near the Andhra Pradesh High Court when an agitating pro-Telangana advocate today allegedly doused himself with petrol and attempted to set himself ablaze in support of demands including 42 per cent reservation in judiciary posts.
An advocate from Karimangar district, G. V. Gupta climbed the main gate of the High Court, took a petrol bottle and doused himself, but was prevented from going further by other protesting advocates. In the melee, the petrol spilled on at least four other advocates.
The court proceedings in the High Court was paralysed for the third day today as the agitation launched by Telangana advocates continued even as scores of others boycotted the proceedings and joined the protests outside the Court.
A large number of advocates from different courts and from districts of Telangana region gathered in front of the entrance of the High Court and raised slogans in support of separate Telangana state and against the government.
Tempers ran high when protesting advocates tried to break the locked main gate of the High Court. However, police deployed outside the court premises tried to pacify them.
Later, the advocates organised a sit-in in front of the main High Court gate causing a traffic snarl on the busy road between Madina Building and Puranapul.
Meanwhile, the indefinite fast observed by three advocates S. Satyam Reddy, who is also convener of Telangana advocates JAC, Jyothi Kiran and Vijay Kumar Goud entered the fourth day.
Keywords: Telangana, lawyers agitation, Andhra politics, self immolation
