Kurnool, September 14: Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy has paid a tearful homage to her brother late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy here today. Disliking travel in helicopter as it claimed the life of Reddy, the Minsiter travelled in a car from Hyderabad to Nallamala and walked in the forest to reach the crash site.
Speaking to mediapersons, she said the late chief minister’s son YS Jaganmohan Reddy should be made the next chief minister for carrying forward the ideals of his father. People’s leader YSR was on his way to meet the people but died even before he could do it, she lamented.
The Home Minister who reached Kurnool by 8:00 a.m. had her breakfast in the government guest house. She proceeded to Atmakur in a car and reached Nallakalva by 11:00 a.m.
Then she took another vehicle to Nallamala and walked for two and a half kilometres to reach the site where YSR’s chopper had crashed. It was nearly 1:00 p.m when she reached the place.
Srisailam MLA Erasu Pratap Reddy, Nandikotkur MLA Labbi Venkataswamy, former Dhone MLA Kotla Sujata, Congress leader Gouru Venkat Reddy, DIG V R K Mohan Rao and Collector Mukesh Kumar Meena accompanied her.
Witnessing the place where her brother’s body had fallen, the Home Minister became emotional. She could not speak for five minutes.
However, becoming normal after some time, she hailed Reddy for his services to the poor and his commitment to the development of the State.
She said that she could not come to the place despite having a strong wish due to several busy works. Maoists, she said, will never target Reddy as he too strived for the welfare of the down-trodden like them.
She said that a memorial will be constructed at the crash site.
On the traffic jam at Idupulapaya where Reddy was buried, Sabita Indra Reddy said it occurred due to large number of people turning up for the funeral rites voluntarily.
However, she said action will be taken against the police who had failed to resolve the traffic problem.
DGP SSP Yadav has travelled in the helicopter to Idupulapaya as part of duty, she clarified and added that it was necessary that the DGP should supervise the programme personally as the rites were performed with State honours.
She told reporters that the DGCA and CBI were ordered to submit the report on investigation into crash within two months.
—Agencies