Tearful adieu to Venkataramana

Tirupati: Local MLA M Venkataramana’s funeral was performed with State honours here on Tuesday after his supporters, Telugu Desam party activists and others, including leaders of various parties, bid him a tearful adieu. His son-in-law Sanjay performed the hour-long last rites. The police fired three rounds in air as mark of respect to the departed leader.

Before the funeral, the legislator’s body was taken in a procession atop a flower-decked cortege from his home in Nehru Nagar to the family owned land near Kapilatheertham, for the last rites. A large number of people, leaders, activists of various political parties, participated. His supporters following the cortege showered floral petals and raised slogans hailing Venkataramana all along the route.

The procession meandered through Old Maternity Hospital Road, KT Road and Nandi Circle before reaching the destination. People stood on either side of the roads to have a glimpse of the MLA on his last journey.

As Venkataramana was a locally popular political leader, social activists, representatives of NGOs, various organisations including cultural, trade and industry, trade unions and officials of various departments, here, who have been long associated with the MLA, joined the long row of people in paying tributes to the body at his house since Monday.

Touching scenes were witnessed at the house when many poor people, including women, from various colonies and slums came to pay their last respect and broke down. Notable among those participated in the funeral procession were Deputy Chief Minister N Chinarajappa, Forest Minister Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy (on behalf of the State government), Chittoor MP Sivaprasad, Telugu Desam MLA G Muddukrishnama Naidu, leaders of TDP and YSRCP like Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy. State TDP youth leader Nara Lokesh called on the bereaved family and laid a wreath on the body before the funeral procession started.