Hyderabad: The tragic death of its Lok Sabha by-poll candidate Siricilla Rajaiah’s daughter-in-law and three grandchildren has come as a huge shock to the Congress which is already in shambles. According to local media reports Sarika who had complained against Rajaiah and her husband under the anti-dowry acts allegedly burnt herself alive with her three small children on Tuesday night.
A report in Deccan Chronicle claims that Sarika had recently requested Congress president Sonia Gandhi not to give ticket to her father-in-law. Despite her appeals, the Congress high command led by Sonia Gandhi gave him the ticket in Warangal Lok Sabha by-poll.
The locals are attacking the Congress for not supporting a woman in distress. The ruling TRS has also criticised the Congress high command for its insensitivity. A local leader said, “it is quite shocking that a party led by a woman did not bother to help another woman. We demand an explanation from none other than Sonia Gandhi herself”.
Telangana state Congress chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy has expressed shock over the incident. He has spoken to party high command in New Delhi requesting them to change the candidate.
Meanwhile, Rajaiah is yet to react to the incident. According to local Congress leaders he has expressed his inability to contest the election due to the incident.
Siricilla Rajaiah's daughter-in-law, Sarika and her three sons Abhinav, Ayan and Sriyan were found dead in the wee hours of Wednesday. Sarika allegedly burnt herself along with her sons by turning on the gas in their kitchen and lighting a fire. Thick smoke was seen emerging from the first floor of Rajaiah's residence in revenue colony in Hanamkonda at about 4:30am.
All four of them were burnt to death by the time the fire engines arrived at the scene for rescue operations. However, the police are yet to ascertain if this is a case murder or a suicide says a report in Deccan Chronicle.
According to local media reports, Sarika had allegedly tried to commit suicide in March 2014 and had filed a case of dowry against the lawmaker’s family and her husband Anil Kumar. She had even staged a sit-in outside Rajaiah’s house.
Siricilla Rajaiah had been fielded by the Congress to contest in the Warangal Lok Sabha by-elections and is a former MP who had contested as the sitting MP in the Warangal Lok Sabha polls in 2014.
He lost to TRS candidate Kadiam Srihari by over 3.50 lakh votes. Srihari has recently been made Deputy Chief Minister of Telangana.
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