WARANGAL: Tension prevailed for over an hour in Narsampet town and Muthojipet village on Friday after police stopped RTC employees and supporters from taking the body of driver K Shankar Goud to the Narsampet bus depot, leading to protests and a road blockade.
Hundreds of TGSRTC employees gathered in support of the family of Shankar Goud, who died of burn injuries in the wee hours of Friday. Police and special police forces were deployed in large numbers in Narsampet and Muthojipet to prevent any untoward incidents.
Shankar Goud, 55, had set himself ablaze during the ongoing TGSRTC employees’ strike on Thursday. He suffered 60% to 80% burn injuries and was shifted through an emergency green channel from Warangal to a private hospital in Hyderabad, where he succumbed to his injuries early on Friday.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock and grief over the death. He conveyed condolences to the family and said the government would extend all assistance in their time of distress.
Colleagues wanted to take RTC driver’s body to Narsampet bus depot
The chief minister said the government was committed to holding talks with RTC employees and resolving their issues.
After the postmortem examination, the body was handed over to the family and brought to Muthojipet village in Narsampet mandal in the early hours of Friday. Fresh tensions arose when RTC employees attempted to take Shankar Goud’s body to the Narsampet bus depot as part of their agitation. Opposition leaders joined the rally, while police erected barricades to stop the procession.
Employees and supporters damaged barricades and raised slogans against the state government. They brought the body out of the house and tried to proceed towards the depot, but police stopped them on the road. This led to a prolonged scuffle involving police personnel, BJP workers and RTC staff.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay joined the agitation and sat on the road beside the body after reaching the village.
He told reporters the family and the JAC had the right to decide on the funeral. “Shankar Goud did not even own a house. What purpose will Rs 10 lakh in compensation serve? The government must fully support the family and address the long-pending demands of RTC workers,” he said, while urging the RTC employees not to resort to extreme steps.
Warangal Police Commissioner Sunpreet Singh later reached the spot and held talks with Sanjay, the family and JAC leaders. Police officials connected the family with senior government representatives over the phone. Assurances were given on compensation, assistance to the family and positive consideration of RTC workers’ demands.
Following the talks, the family and JAC leaders agreed to proceed with the funeral. Final rites of Shankar Goud were conducted at Muthojipet village later in the day.
Earlier, Narsampet RDO P Uma Rani announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh from the government. She announced Rs 5 lakh from the Narsampet MLA constituency funds. She said, as directed by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, one eligible family member would be offered employment. An Indiramma house was also sanctioned for the family.
A bandh call in Narsampet town affected normal activity. RTC employees staged demonstrations in Bhupalpally and Mahbubabad, where the bandh had a partial impact.
Former MLA Peddi Sudharshan Reddy and BJP Warangal district spokesperson Rana Pratap Reddy were taken into preventive custody. Leaders of the TGSRTC Joint Action Committee were detained and shifted to Warangal. Former minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao was placed under house arrest in Hanamkonda.
Former minister Satyavati Rathod joined the employees’ protest in Narsampet.