A tragic case in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district has fuelled an outrage after a 40-year-old female librarian have committed suicide over not getting her salary for months. The case was revealed on Tuesday, 14th October, and has led to a political confrontation in the state.
The deceased, Bhagyavati V. Aggimath, was a librarian at the government-run Arivu Centre in Mulakheda village of Kalaburagi district in Karnataka. She served there for the last six years. On Monday (13th October), she was discovered dead within the library with a suicide note stating that she was driven to the act due to extreme financial pressure. She said in the note that she was depressed over her failure to meet her family’s monetary needs because she was not paid her salary for the last three months.
Her family said that Bhagyavati had been finding it difficult to take care of household expenses and pay for her children’s school fees. Despite approaching officials several times to release her pending salary, she received no help from the authorities. Her family has now held the library department responsible for her death and has demanded compensation along with a government job for one family member to support her two children.
Police have registered a case and started an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
BJP targets Congress government over the tragedy
The incident has drawn strong criticism from the opposition BJP, which has accused the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of negligence and insensitivity. BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra, expressing grief over the tragedy, said the incident “exposes the bankruptcy and heartless nature of the Congress government in Karnataka.”
Taking to social media platform X, he wrote, “The death of librarian Bhagyavati Vishweshwarayya Aggimath, who ended her life after falling into distress without receiving her salary, is a shame for civil society. The state government has reached a point where it cannot even pay its own employees.”
ವೇತನವಿಲ್ಲದೇ ತೀವ್ರ ಸಂಕಷ್ಟಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಲುಕಿ ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆಗೆ ಶರಣಾಗಿರುವ ಕಲಬುರಗಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಸೇಡಂ ತಾಲ್ಲೂಕಿನ ಗ್ರಂಥಪಾಲಕಿ ಭಾಗ್ಯವತಿ ವಿಶ್ವೇಶ್ವರಯ್ಯ ಅಗ್ಗಿಮಠ ಅವರ ಸಾವು @INCKarnataka ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ದಿವಾಳಿತನ ಹಾಗೂ ಹೃದಯ ಹೀನ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಯನ್ನು ಅನಾವರಣಗೊಳಿಸಿದೆ. ಭಾಗ್ಯವತಿ ಅಗ್ಗಿಮಠ ಅವರ ದುರಂತ ಅಂತ್ಯ ನಾಗರಿಕ ಸಮಾಜ ತಲೆ ತಗ್ಗಿಸುವಂತಾಗಿದೆ.… pic.twitter.com/Qcwnlnv9b4
— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) October 14, 2025
Vijayendra demanded immediate compensation for the family and a government job for one of her dependents, saying that the government’s apathy had pushed a hardworking woman to such a tragic end.
He further criticised the Congress leadership, saying that from the Chief Minister down to local ministers, no one is paying attention to people’s problems. He singled out Minister Priyank Kharge, who represents the same district, for not taking interest in the hardships faced by residents.
“The negligence and careless attitude of the government have been laid bare by this tragedy,” Vijayendra said, adding that the incident reflects the Congress government’s failure to protect its own employees and ensure timely payment of salaries.
