Harish Rao urges High Court CJ, SHRC to take suo motu action on student deaths in Telangana’s Gurukuls

BRS leader Harish Rao demanded Telangana High Court and SHRC intervention over recurring Gurukul food poisoning incidents, alleging over 100 student deaths under Congress rule. He accused the government of negligence and warned of a Statewide agitation if safety and quality meals aren’t ensured.

Nagarkurnool: BRS senior leader and former Minister T Harish Rao has urged the Telangana High Court and the State Human Rights Commission to take suo motu cognisance of recurring food poisoning incidents and student deaths in Gurukuls. Appealing to them to ensure quality meals and health for children, he called the Revanth Reddy government callous for putting the lives of students in danger.

Harish Rao rushed to Uyyalawada and interacted with students of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Girls’ BC Gurukul schools in Nagarkurnool district, where 111 students fell ill after consuming contaminated food.

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“Some students were rushed to the hospital only after learning about our arrival, while others are being treated at the school under trees. Why this negligence?” he questioned, calling the episode a tragic failure of governance.

The former Minister cited similar cases in Jagtial, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Peddakothpalli, and Husnabad among others, stating that in 20 months of the Congress rule, more than 100 Gurukul students have died. He slammed Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for lack of action against any official, despite promising to immediate suspension of officials if such incidents recur. He castigated the government over its failure to provide proper meals for SC, ST, BC and minorities children, while willing to spend over Rs 1 lakh per plate during beauty pageants.

Harish Rao recalled that under former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, the Gurukuls schools increased from 284 to 1,023, catering to over six lakh students. However, he stated that the Congress government was not following the mandatory menu, with students being served worm-infested rice and poor quality sambar, rather than puri or chapati as per the menu.

Accusing the government of playing with the future of children, he warned that if negligence continues, the BRS would be forced to take up a Statewide agitation.