MLA's supporters give vent to ire against government

Hyderabad: Upset with the government not taking up the funeral of Cantonment MLA G Sayanna with State honours, the late legislator's followers stopped the last rites for almost two hours raising slogans against the government at the East Marredpally crematorium on Monday.

The funeral procession reached the crematorium by about 5 pm.

The followers of Sayanna reached where his body was kept for cremation, They raised slogans against Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and the government.

The angry followers said that while there were State honours for film stars but not for a five-time MLA from the weaker sections.

They raised slogans demanding State honours to the MLA and stating that the government had insulted the community. The followers had claimed that the government had assured them that the funeral would be with State honours.

With crowd increasing and sloganeering, ministers T Srinivas Yadav, who was overseeing the funeral arrangements, and Ch Malla Reddy and others left the crematorium. Talasani had tried to pacify the activists, but they did not relent.

Deputy Speaker T Padma Rao Goud and MLAs, including Mynampally Hanumanth Rao, Maganti Gopinath talked to the late MLA's family members and convinced them to allow the cremation. Rao told the protestors that they should not insult the departed soul by stopping the last rites. The followers backed off after the intervention of the family members. The family members urged the followers of Sayanna to allow the cremation. After two hours of protest, the cremation was taken up.

Sayanna, the five-time MLA from Cantonment, passed away on Sunday, after a cardiac arrest. He was suffering from diabetes and kidney ailments. He was recently admitted in a private hospital after he fell ill. Reportedly, his leg was amputated because of infection; he was also on dialysis.