A youth allegedly attempted suicide at the office of Higher Education Minister R V Deshpande in the Vidhan Soudha, the State Secretariat, alleging harassment and denial of wages at his workplace.
Anand, a temporary staff on contract at the Common Entrance Test cell of the Department, allegedly consumed poison immediately after handing over his "note" narrating his problems to the Minister.
"He gave me the letter and immediately drank something", Deshpande, also Tourism Minister, who appeared to have been shaken a bit by the incident, told reporters. Vidhan Soudha houses the Assembly hall where the session was in progress.
Anand, who appeared to be in pain and walked with much difficulty, said he hasn't been paid wages for four months and charged some officials of the Cell with harassing him and denying him leave.
He was rushed to a hospital, where he is said to be out of danger after it emerged that the poison dose he consumed was not fatal, police said.