The suspected suicide of 32-year-old G. Geethanjali, a resident of Tenali in Guntur district, has taken a political turn as the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP) resorted to blame game over the issue on March 12 (Tuesday).
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Geethanjali’s family members lodged a police complaint alleging that she had ended her life after she was trolled on social media for expressing her gratitude for the YSRCP government’s welfare schemes of which she was a beneficiary. The family claimed that the people trolling her were activists of the opposition parties.
According to Railway Police, Geethanjali allegedly tried to end her life by jumping in front of the Janmabhoomi Express at Tenali on March 7 and was critically injured. She died while undergoing treatment at Government General Hospital (GGH), Guntur on March 11.
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Meanwhile, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy announced an ex gratia of ₹20 lakh to the family of Geethanjali. Directing the officials to extend the necessary support to the bereaved family, the Chief Minister warned those attempting to tarnish the woman’s name of stringent action.
YSRCP leader Vasireddy Padma, who visited the house of Geethanjali, alleged that the woman was subjected to trolling on social media and psychologically harassed by the activists of the opposition parties, which forced her to resort to the extreme step.
Ms. Padma, the former Chairperson of State Women’s Commission, said that Geethanjali, in a video recently, had expressed her happiness over getting the benefits of the welfare schemes introduced by the YSRCP government.
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However, TDP Guntur Parliamentary party president Tenali Sravan Kumar denied the allegations. “The YSRCP is levelling false allegations on the opposition parties for political gain,” he said.
The investigation is on.
Those battling suicidal thoughts can seek help for counselling by dialling the helpline number 100.