KARIMNAGAR: Dalit youth, Mahankali Srinivas, who set himself ablaze in front of Manakondur TRS MLA ‘Rasamayi’ Balakishan’s office at Alugunur on September 3, succumbed to his injuries at a corporate hospital in Hyderabad on Sunday. His death sparked protests in Manakondur assembly constituency and at his native Gudem, in Bejjanki of Siddipet. Yalala Parushram of Gudem, who sustained burns trying to save him, will be discharged Monday.
As news of Srinivas’ death spread, TDP district president Kavvampalli Satyanarayana and followers staged a rasta roko at Manakondur bringing traffic to a halt. At Alugunur crossroads in Thimmapur mandal, Satyanarayana, BJP district president K Srinivas Reddy and followers were arrested and shifted to the police training centre.
Arrests were made at Bejjanki crossroads with leaders being shifted to Koheda police station. The leaders wanted Balakishan to be held responsible for the death and demanded `50 lakh ex-gratia for Srinivas’s family. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee Scheduled Caste cell chairman Arepalli Mohan demanded criminal charges be registered against all responsible, including the MLA. He demanded three acres of land, `50 lakh ex-gratia, a double bedroom house and a government job for Srinivas’ kin. In Gudem, last rites of Srinivas were performed under heavy bandobust in the evening.
He protested outside MLA office on Sept 3
Mahankali Srinivas had gone with others to meet MLA Balakishan at his office at Alugunur, Thimmapur mandal on September 3. They wanted to complain about irregularities in the government’s distribution of three acres of land. Srinivas set himself ablaze after the MLA failed to come and allegedly chided the villagers. Yalala Parushram tried to save him but caught fire. Both were shifted to private hospitals in Hyderabad.