khammam:
Home Secretary Amit Shah has spoken to the family of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activist Sai Ganesh from Telangana’s Khammam district, whose suicide has sparked tensions in the area. Ganesh claimed he “couldn’t stand the torture of the police”, attempted suicide outside the police station on April 14, and died two days later in a hospital.
In a telephone conversation with Sai Ganesh’s family, Amit Shah expressed his condolences and ensured justice.
Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar is also scheduled to visit Khammam today amid statewide protests planned by the BJP. Party workers are demanding an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the resignation of the Minister of Transport.
State BJP Chief Bandi Sanjay has called for statewide protests with black ribbons. He himself is currently on a ‘Praja Sangrama Yatra’ — a campaign against “corruption and mismanagement of the TRS government” — and will protest in between the yatra.
Former Union Minister Renuka Chowdhury, who is also from Khammam, has also appealed to Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah to order action against State Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar, who is accused of filing cases against Sai Ganesh , who happened to be getting married next month.
Telangana BJP’s Core Committee Member and Tamil Nadu Co-Incharge Sudhakar Reddy, along with other BJP leaders, visited Sai Ganesh’s residence and provided financial aid. He arranged a phone call with the Union’s interior minister and arranged for the family to speak to him, ANI news agency reported.
Mr Shah also instructed the BJP leaders of Telangana to assist the family in securing justice by taking the case to the Supreme Court if necessary.
Sudhakar Reddy claimed in a tweet that the BJP activist died by suicide as a result of harassment he received from State Transport Minister Ajay Kumar Puvvada.
“Meet relatives of beloved Kayakarta, Sai Ganesh, in their hometown of Khammam, TS & assured his grandmother of every possible help besides getting justice for him. Did my part by providing financial aid. Ganesh committed suicide because of the atrocities of Ajay Kumar Puvvada,” said Mr Reddy.
“Also connected the family by phone with the Union Minister Amit Shah Ji who gave full support of the party and assured that we will fight together until justice is done. It was a very kind gesture from part of Amit Shah Ji and we are grateful for his support,” he added.
Met relatives of beloved Kayakarta, Sai Ganesh, in their hometown of Khammam, TS and assured his grandmother of every possible help besides getting justice for him.
I did my part by providing financial aid.
Ganesh committed suicide because of ‘s atrocities @puvvada_ajay.1/2 pic.twitter.com/3sOBevB5cP
— Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy (@ReddySudhakar21) Apr 19, 2022
The BJP leaders accompanying Reddy claimed that Mr Ganesh “clearly stated in the latest statement that TRS minister Puvvada Ajay is responsible for his death.”
Sai Ganesh, who was also the district chairman of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Union, had several meetings with the minister in the past. BJP leaders allege cases have been filed against Sai Ganesh for denouncing alleged corruption through social media posts.
Sai Ganesh was hospitalized and spoke to the media, where he said he had installed a flagpole in the “no objection area” after a BJP meeting and alleged police officers had broken it.
While he was taken to hospital, Sai Ganesh, a driver, claimed that “through no fault of his own” 16 police cases were filed against him at the behest of a minister, Puvvada Ajay Kumar and some other TRS leaders.
Ganesh said that “his self-esteem was hurt” and tried to take his own life because he “couldn’t stand the torture of the police”.
Khammam Special Branch Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Prasanna Kumar told ANI that Sai Ganesh had about 9 cases against him in the past.
Since January, he has started to participate in many activities and a noisy sheet has been opened, police said.
Police denied Mr Ganesh’s allegations, police said before the BJP Foundational Day on April 6, he installed a flagpole and people in the place who objected to it had broken it.
Telangana’s ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi has been misguided after two recent suicide incidents and the naming of one of their leaders’ sons in a kidnapping and gang rape case.
Six TRS leaders have been arrested in the suicide case of a mother and son in Kamareddy district. The son of the TRS leader, who is accused in the gang rape case, has also been arrested.