A B.Tech student - Ravi Teja - climbed a microwave tower at Gunadala here on Wednesday protesting against reservations being given on the basis of caste. He demanded that economic backwardness be the criteria for reservations or 10 per cent bonus marks be awarded in entrance examinations to poor students and those grown up in villages.
Ravi Teja and four others reached the tower at around 10.30 a.m. and put up a banner that contained their demands. Teja then climbed the tower while his friends shouted slogans against caste-based reservations.
Police took Teja’s friends into custody. Teja, however, managed to climb the tower amidst appeals by the police to come down. He stayed there for close to three hours and answered mobile phone calls from his friends and mediapersons who gathered there in a large number.
He warned that he would jump from there if anyone tried to reach him. The police too spoke to him but to no avail. They even brought a net to save the youth in case he jumped from the tower.
Ravi Teja gave up his protest at around 1 p.m. after Vijayawada East MLA Gadde Rammohan reached the spot and spoke to him through phone. Teja was taken into custody by Machavaram police on the charge of attempting suicide.
Speaking to the mediapersons later, Mr. Teja said that reservations should be given on the basis of poverty / economic backwardness but not in the name of any particular caste.
“A huge number of youngsters belonging to the economically weaker sections are suffering a lot as they do not have any reservation. What about them? The Government should think of such unfortunate people”, he demanded.
He also demanded that film actor and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan react to the need for reservations on the basis of economic backwardness of the students. “Mr. Pawan Kalyan did not reveal what his party’s stand is on reservations and various other issues. He should tell what his party is going to do”, Mr. Teja added.
