Hyderabad, April 25 (NationPress) — Shankar Goud, a Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) driver, died on Friday, April 25 at Apollo DRDO Hospital, Hyderabad, after setting himself on fire during a workers' protest in Warangal district on Thursday. His death has ignited a fierce political storm, with both Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and BJP labelling it a murder committed by the Revanth Reddy-led Congress government, which they accuse of callously ignoring the long-pending demands of TSRTC employees for over two and a half years.

What Led to Shankar Goud's Extreme Step

Shankar Goud self-immolated during an ongoing strike by TSRTC workers who have been pressing the state government to fulfil promises made ahead of the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections. The employees' demands include service regularisation, wage revisions, and other welfare measures that the Congress government pledged in its election manifesto.

Goud succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of Friday morning while undergoing treatment. His death was not an isolated incident — on the same day, two other RTC drivers also reportedly attempted suicide, a grim trifecta that opposition leaders described as a dark chapter in Telangana's history.

BRS's KTR Terms Death a Political Murder

BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) was among the first to react sharply, posting on social media platform X that Shankar Goud's death was not a suicide but a murder orchestrated by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's administration. He argued that Goud was driven to the extreme step solely because of the grave injustice inflicted upon RTC workers over the past two and a half years.

KTR also condemned authorities for allegedly denying permission to carry Shankar Goud's mortal remains to the RTC depot at Narsampet, where colleagues had gathered to pay their last respects — a denial he called an utterly heinous act. He further condemned the arrest of former BRS MLA Peddi Sudarshan Reddy and others who stood in solidarity with Goud's family.

The BRS leader put forward concrete demands: a compensation of Rs 1 crore for Shankar Goud's family, a government job for one family member, and the unconditional release of all individuals arrested across the state in connection with the agitation. He also called on the government to immediately abandon what he described as conspiracies to dismantle the RTC and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with workers.

BJP Joins Chorus, Calls Out Government's Delaying Tactics

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar echoed BRS's position, calling the self-immolation a murder by the state government. He told the media that the entire Telangana society is grieving today and expressed deep shock over the tragedy.

The BJP leader alleged that instead of addressing the legitimate demands of TSRTC employees, the government set up a committee purely as a delaying tactic — a charge that resonates with the broader pattern of unfulfilled pre-election promises critics have attributed to the Revanth Reddy government. He also appealed to workers not to resort to suicide, warning it would only push their families into deeper distress.

State BJP president Ramchander Rao physically joined the RTC employees' protest at Musheerabad, Hyderabad on Friday, expressing solidarity with what he called their rightful struggle against this insensitive Congress government.

Deeper Context: A Pattern of Broken Promises

This tragedy must be viewed against the backdrop of the Congress party's 2023 election campaign, during which CM Revanth Reddy made extensive promises to government employees, including TSRTC workers, as part of its six guarantees framework. Critics and opposition leaders now argue that more than two years into governance, the administration has failed to translate these assurances into actionable policy.

Notably, TSRTC has historically been a flashpoint in Telangana politics. The corporation witnessed a prolonged and painful strike in 2019 under the then-K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) government, during which employees faced mass terminations before eventually being reinstated. The recurrence of a similar crisis under a different government underlines a systemic failure to address the structural vulnerabilities of the corporation — including chronic underfunding, service absorption delays, and wage arrears.

The fact that three drivers attempted self-immolation on a single day signals the depth of desperation within the TSRTC workforce, numbering tens of thousands of employees and their families across the state. This is not merely a labour dispute — it is a governance crisis with direct human costs.

What Happens Next

Political pressure on the Revanth Reddy government is expected to intensify in the coming days, with both BRS and BJP likely to escalate protests and potentially raise the issue in the Telangana Legislative Assembly. The government faces a critical choice: initiate credible dialogue with TSRTC unions backed by concrete timelines, or risk further unrest that could have broader electoral consequences ahead of local body elections.

Whether the government will announce a compensation package for Shankar Goud's family or convene an emergency meeting with striking employees will be closely watched in the days ahead.