Devender holds PM, Sonia responsible for Yadireddy's suicide

Holding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi responsible for suicide of 28-year-old Manadi Yadireddy from Rangareddy district in New Delhi on Wednesday, senior Telugu Desam Party leader T Devender Goud on Thursday called on the students from Telangana region not to resort to such extreme steps.

“Students resorting to suicides to push the separate Telangana state demand will not help solve the problem. They must refrain from this path and instead opt for the path of agitation. That alone would help in the formation of Telangana state,” Mr Devender Goud told media persons at the NTR Trust Bhavan.

Terming Yadireddy’s suicide for the cause of separate statehood as `unfortunate,’ he continued, “Yadireddy’s suicide should be taken as a wakeup call for the Centre. It must now at least take a favourable decision on Telangana, fulfilling the aspirations of region’s people.

Mr Devender Goud added, “the Central government should understand the situation in Telangana and open its eyes and take a decision without dragging the issue further.”

Yadireddy’s body was found hanging from a tree near India Gate in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Mr Devender Goud further called upon all elected representatives to stop making provocative statements and disturbing the sentiments of the people of the state and their emotions.

He said the leaders are making provocative statements to get media attention but their actions will effectively create a panic like situation. “Their attempts to gain political mileage and to protect their selfish interests will create a sense of panic and insecurity among people,” the senior TDP leader said.

He appealed to the government to book cases under applicable laws against those who are making such provocative statements.