Burning Issues

‘Self-immolation’ is the latest gimmick in the great Andhra Pradesh election drama. Cutting across party lines, disgruntled workers have been threatening to set themselves on fire. It all began with a BJP worker pouring kerosene over himself outside Union minister of state Bandaru Dattatreya’s Hyderabad residence last week. He was reportedly encouraged to pull the stunt by the crew of a local channel. A few days later, an NSUI leader in Warangal tried to stage a similar show: he actually lit a match but his supporters quickly doused the flames and rushed him to a hospital. TDP cadres, unwilling to be left out, had eight party workers in Vijayawada pouring kerosene over themselves to protest against their local leader being denied a ticket.