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In a bizarre incident, a pro Telangana youth committed self immolation in Osmania University as a 'thanksgiving to God for fulfilling his wish that state Congress president D Srinivas should be defeated in the by elections in Telangana.'
Just as the Telangana supporters all over the region were celebrating the landslide victory of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi in the by elections to 12 assembly seats, Ishan Reddy, B Tech, committed self immolation in Osmania University campus on Saturday morning.
According to the police, he poured kerosene near the library building in the campus on Saturday morning and set himself ablaze.
In a suicide note left behind, Ishan Reddy said that he had prayed to Goddess Maisamma that if D Srinivas was defeated in the by elections, he will sacrifice himself. He also thanked the people of Telangana region for ensuring the victory of 12 pro Telangana candidates. He appealed that post-mortem should not be conducted on his body.
Significantly, in his note Ishan Reddy also included a list of political leaders including D Srinivas describing them as 'Traitors of Telangana.'
They include ministers Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Sridhar Babu, senior Congress leaders Jana Reddy, Damodar Reddy, senior TDP leaders N Janardhan Reddy, E Dayakar Rao Kadiam Srihari, minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy.
"They all should be declared as traitors of Telangana," he said in his note. At the same time he saluted the leadership of TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao for the cause of Telangana state.
Ishan Reddy, who was undergoing coaching for Toefel GRE examination, belonged to Basantpur village of Medak district. Police said that he had already completed B Tech from St. Ann's Institute of Technology in Ibrahimpatanam.
News of Ishan Reddy's suicide sent waves of shock throughout the region and student community came out in full strength to pay their respects to him.
After the post-mortem of his body at the Gandhi Hospital, his funeral procession was taken out from Osmania University. It was attended by TRS President K Chandrasekhara Rao, MLA T Harish Rao, Telangana Joint Action Committee convenor Kodanda Ram, popular folk singer Ghaddar, senior BJP leader Bandaru Daatatreya and Ch Vidyasagar Rao and a large number of students. In Kakatiya University at Warangal, students took out a massive rally.
Ghaddar appealed to the youth of Telangana not to resort to any extreme steps as the goal of achieving Telangana was very near. "We are fighting for Telangana for the sake of our youth. What is the use if they continue to commit suicide?" he asked.