Hyderabad, October 14: The postponement of a competitive exam by the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) has tragically culminated in a female student’s suicide, leading to a massive protest in Hyderabad’s Ashok Nagar area.
M. Pravalika, a 23-year-old student, took her own life at the hostel where she was residing, preparing for the Group-2 exam.
The protest, which erupted on Friday night, saw hundreds of students gathering on the streets with Pravalika’s body, demanding justice for the young woman.
Prominent political figures, including BJP MP K. Laxman and Congress leader Anil Kumar Yadav, also participated in the protest, further intensifying tensions in the heart of the city.
The protesters voiced their concerns over the repeated cancellations and postponements of the TSPSC exams, citing question paper leaks and administrative errors, which have severely impacted thousands of students.
As the situation grew increasingly tense, senior police officials rushed to the scene in an attempt to calm the protesters. However, they were adamant that the victim’s family receive justice before allowing the body to be moved.
The Congress and BJP leaders were subsequently detained by the police.
The agitated protesters, expressing their discontent with the government, also resorted to pelting stones at the police, resulting in injuries to two officers.
Around 1.30 a.m. on Saturday, the police resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd and subsequently transferred the body to Gandhi Hospital for an autopsy. Later, the body was transported to Pravalika’s native district of Warangal.
A. Revanth Reddy, the President of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), condemned the student’s suicide as a direct consequence of the Group-II exams’ postponement, labeling it a “murder by the government.” He urged the public to reject an administration incapable of conducting exams and encouraged participation in the ‘sadak bandh’ protest called for by Congress and other opposition parties on Saturday.
