Kurnool, June 21: Former Kurnool Mayor Bangi Ananthaiah’s latest attempt to stage another novel protest turned tragic, leaving him battling for live in the Intensive Care Unit of a hospital here.
The Telugu Desam Party leader, currently under suspension from the party membership, is well known to adopt unique methods of highlighting an issue.
Mr Ananthaiah had informed media persons of his latest protest to get his suspension to the party revoked and members of the fourth estate had gathered in large numbers to witness his latest ‘stunt’.
His Monday morning’s ‘stunt’ was an attempt of simulating suicide by hanging from the statue of TDP founder late NT Rama Rao.
This went horribly wrong as he slipped and fell from the pedestal of the statue and was strangulated. By the time his supporters and media persons managed to free him, his throat was choked and air supply to his lungs cut off. The former Mayor was rushed to hospital where his condition is said to be critical.
Mr Ananthaiah is known to adopt unique and eye-catching ways of highlight an issue. He had once dressed as a beggar, pulling carts by himself in place of oxen, eating grass to highlight corruption in government, playing a dead body and going around half-naked.
The TDP leader was suspended from the party after he filed a police complaint against party boss N Chandrababu Naidu and other senior leader of trying to harm him.
The party cadre had been building pressure on the TDP High Command to revoke his suspension since they felt he was important to keep the media’s attention riveted on the party.
——–INN