Thirty-two-year-old Sai Eshwar Chari, who attempted death by suicide, demanding the implementation of 42% reservation for Backwards Classes (BCs) in Telangana, passed away. Sai was undergoing treatment at Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad, where he died on Friday, December 5.
His death has triggered sharp criticism against the Congress government, with the Opposition holding the government responsible.
Sai Eshwar, a cab driver from Jagadgirigutta in the Medchal-Malkajgiri district, had set himself on fire outside the office of Q News, run by expelled Congress leader and MLC Teenmaar Mallanna (Chintapandu Naveen) in Medipally on Thursday. Mallanna has emerged as one of the leading voices of the ongoing BC reservation movement.
According to reports, Sai Eshwar sustained more than 90% burns and succumbed at around 1 pm on Friday.
Reacting to the incident, BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) blamed Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. “By reducing BC reservations in panchayat elections to just 17%, the Chief Minister has stabbed the Backwards Classes of the state in the back. This is nothing but a murder committed by the Congress government,” he said.
KTR said that, along with CM Revanth, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should also take responsibility for Sai Eshwar's death. “From initiating caste census to issuing GOs that won't hold up in courts, the Congress has built a pyre for the Kamareddy (Backwards Classes) Declaration without an iota of sincerity,” he added.
He urged the government to announce an ex gratia payment of 50 lakhs to the bereaved family and support them. The BC Declaration is a commitment made by Congress ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections in Telangana, promising enhanced rights and representation for the state’s Backwards Classes (BCs).
Similarly, BJP state N Ramchander Rao said that the death of Sai Eashwar was “proof of the collapse of social justice in Telangana.” The BJP leader accused the Congress government of betraying BCs on all fronts, including not clearing fee reimbursement arrears, failing to release funds to BC Corporations, and ignoring welfare commitments.
“This is not just the grief of one family; it reflects the government’s treatment of BCs across Telangana,” he said.
Rajya Sabha MP and National BC Welfare Association president R Krishnaiah also criticised the state government, claiming that its “failure to implement 42% BC reservation has pushed thousands of young people into depression.” He alleged that none of the promises made in the Congress’ pre-election BC Declaration have been fulfilled so far.
Tensions have been rising ahead of the local body elections over the non-implementation of GO 9, which had increased the BC quota from the existing 25% to 42% in rural local bodies. However, the government order was stayed by the Telangana High Court, observing that increasing the BC quota to 42% would push overall reservations to 67%, breaching the 50% cap.
Following the stay, the state government issued GO 46 on November 22, capping total reservations in the upcoming gram panchayat polls at 50%. As a result, the BC quota has sharply declined to 17%. Several districts like Bhadradri Kothagudem and Adilabad now have extremely low or even zero BC representation at the mandal level, reports suggest.