Two more die for special status to Andhra

The issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh continues to claim lives with one person committing suicide and another dying of a heart attack on Friday.

A day after a man hanged himself in Nellore district, a youth ended his life in Krishna district. Uday Bhanu (40) was found hanging in his house in Gudivada town of Krishna district.

Uday Bhanu, a kirana shop owner, left behind a suicide note in which he called upon students to fight for special status. "Get AP free. Dead or alive," he wrote.

Unhappy over the delay on the part of the Centre in granting special status to Andhra, he discussed the issue with his friend before returning home and resorting to the extreme step, family members said.

In another incident, a man, who was dejected over the delay in the state getting special status, died of a heart attack. Lokes Rao (32) died at his home in Guduru in Kurnool district.

A contract lecturer in a private college, Rao had participated in a protest organised by a non-political organisation on Thursday.

According to family members, Rao discussed the issue with them last night and explained how the special status would help the unemployed.

Earlier, Ramishetti Lakshmaiah (55) committed suicide in Nellore district on the same issue on Thursday.

YSR Congress party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy on Friday visited Lakshmaiah's house and consoled the family.

Talking to reporters, the leader of opposition said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu failed to convince the Centre to immediately accord special status.

He said though four people lost their lives, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was doing nothing to pressurise the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government, in which the TDP is an alliance partner.

A Congress worker had immolated self in Tirupati on August 8 during a rally organised by the party to demand that the Centre immediately accord special status to Andhra.

Naidu called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday in New Delhi to seek special status for the revenue-deficit state.