TSRTC strike: Conductor hangs self to death
Hyderabad: A TSRTC conductor allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at his house on Sunday night, hours after a driver who had set himself ablaze succumbed to his injuries at a hospital here, police said.
Surender Goud, aged around 50, hanged himself from a ceiling fan at his house here even as family members broke open the door of his room and shifted him to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him brought dead around 9.30 pm, an official attached to the Kulsumpura police station said.
Asked about the reason behind the suicide, police said Goud was apparently depressed over the "fear of job loss and the non-payment of September salary" due to the ongoing Telangana State Road Transport Corporation strike.
Earlier, a 55-year-old TSRTC driver died on Sunday, a day after he set himself ablaze, even as the strike by the transport employees in Telangana entered the ninth day.
D Srinivas Reddy, who was part of the group of employees on a state-wide strike for the last nine days, died of burn injuries, hospital sources told PTI.
The driver had doused himself with kerosene and set himself ablaze near his house in Khammam, about 190 km from Hyderabad, reportedly in protest against the government not acceding to the demands of striking employees.
As news about Reddy's death spread, a large number of striking employees of TSRTC gathered near the hospital, but police at the spot whisked them away in police vehicles.
Protests also broke out in different parts of the city and other places, with employees raising slogans and holding the state government responsible for Reddy's death.
At many places, the striking employees and workers observed silence and later took out protest rallies and raised slogans like 'Srinivas Reddy Amar Rahe', while candlelight vigil was also held at some places on Sunday evening.
In a related development, another TSRTC driver, aged around 40, doused himself with petrol at Narsampet depot in Warangal district on Sunday, however, police immediately intervened and foiled his alleged self-immolation bid.
The employees, who have been on strike since 5 October, demanding the merger of TSRTC with the government among others also organised 'Vanta Varpu' (mass cooking) besides forming human chains as part of the stir at many places in the state.
Condoling the driver's death, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said the incident has pained him very much. The Union minister urged the Telangana government to take steps to resolve the issue amicably by holding talks with the unions.
He also extended his condolences to the bereaved family. Telangana ministers, leaders of opposition parties, including the Congress and the BJP, also condoled Reddy's death.
The Joint Action Committee of TSRTC has given a 'bandh' call in Khammam district on Monday. Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka extended party's support to the call.
Taking a tough stand, Chief Minister K C Rao had said the 48,000 striking RTC staff had "self-dismissed" themselves as he also made it very clear that under no circumstances would the RTC be merged with the government.
Rao has also directed officials that only those who have stayed away from the strike would be given the September salary.
On Saturday, he had said there was no question of having talks with the striking employees or taking them back, terming the agitation as "illegal." Rao also directed officials to restore bus services and if need be, recruit employees, utilise the services of retired RTC and police department drivers.
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CM Siddaramaiah accuses BJP of ‘communalising’ Karnataka order on religious attire in schools
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday slammed BJP leaders for "communalising" the Karnataka government’s order allowing students to wear religious attire in schools and colleges, including the hijab.
The Karnataka government, on May 13, issued an order allowing students to wear hijab, sacred threads, Shivadhara, and rudraksha (faith-based symbols) in schools.
The order scrapped the BJP government’s 2022 ban on the hijab in government schools amid the hijab versus saffron shawl controversy.
In a statement, Siddaramaiah said BJP leaders commenting on the matter should introspect on why they are discussing the state government order instead of the cancellation of the NEET examination, which relates to the future of 22 lakh students.
The CM said the revised dress code has now been implemented in schools and colleges across the state, in keeping with the constitutional principle of equal respect for all religions.
It is only natural that those who seek to divide society based on caste and religion are upset by this order, he said, adding that they should look within and introspect.
"What is being discussed across the country is the cancellation of the NEET examination due to a question paper leak. Yet neither PM Narendra Modi, who conducts ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ (discussion on exams) and claims to care for students, nor BJP leaders in the state have said a word about this serious crime that has shattered the futures of innocent students," the statement said.
Despite serious allegations that BJP leaders themselves are involved in the issue, they are busy defending the PM and the education minister, Siddaramaiah alleged.
"Is this not a betrayal of the 22 lakh students across the country who have become victims of NEET examination irregularities?" he asked.
Siddaramaiah claimed that when lapses were found in one or two centres during the CET examination conducted by his government, state BJP leaders created a huge uproar and staged protests, but now, when more than one lakh students from Karnataka have faced injustice, the BJP leaders are silent.
He wondered whether BJP leaders have even the minimum concern for students in Karnataka.
"When the sacred thread (janivara) was removed in one or two places, and when Muslim girl students wore the hijab in one or two schools in Udupi, these BJP leaders tried to set the whole of Karnataka on fire with communal hatred. Can they not see the tears of students suffering due to the cancellation of the NEET examination?” the CM said.
He claimed that the dress code implemented in the state’s educational institutions is in line with the dress code followed in Kendriya Vidyalayas under the union government.
"Those who oppose the dress code issued by the state government should also oppose the dress code of Kendriya Vidyalayas. Why this hypocrisy?" Siddaramaiah said.
He also asked whether allowing the hijab amounts to appeasement of Muslims, and whether allowing sacred threads, turbans, or traditional headgear amounts to appeasement of the respective religions.
Calling the CET examinations introduced by the previous Congress government in Karnataka a revolutionary step that enabled thousands of poor students to become engineers and doctors, Siddaramaiah alleged that the BJP government at the Centre systematically weakened the system.
“When the NEET examination system was implemented in 2024, our government opposed it. NEET has caused injustice to poor and rural students in the state. Through this system, the union government has taken away the state’s rightful authority over education,” the CM charged.
For decades, our governments have conducted CET examinations safely and efficiently, he said, adding that the BJP government at the Centre does not even have the ability to conduct a single NEET examination properly.
“This is proof of the union government’s administrative failure. I directly hold Prime Minister Narendra Modi responsible for this lapse. I demand that he apologise to the students of the country and immediately remove the incompetent Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan from the Union Cabinet,” he said.
Underlining that educational institutions must promote rationality, scientific temper, equality, fraternity, dignity, mutual respect, and a secular outlook, Siddaramaiah said his government has decided to allow students to wear limited traditional or faith-based symbols, provided they are supplementary to and compatible with the prescribed uniform.
“We are committed to restoring discipline, equality, and dignity in the education system without affecting public order, safety, the classroom environment, or the secular character of educational institutions,” the CM said.
