Srikalahasti, September 10: To mourn the tragic demise of the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, thousands of farmers including women, took out a silent rally through the main streets of this temple town here.
As many as 2500 farmers from surrounding villages led by Srikalhasti temple trust board chairman and senior congress leader Mr Shantaram J Pawar and Kisan Service Organisation (KSO) General Secretary Mr T Audikesavulu Reddy, took out a silent rally and concluded at a private marriage hall where they held a condolence meeting yesterday.
Recalling Dr Reddy’s contribution for the welfare of the farmers Mr Pawar made an appeal to the Centre and the state government to name the proposed Rs 6,000-crore NTPC-BHEL power plant at Mannavaram in memory of the late Chief Minister.
Dr Reddy, his Principal Secretary P Subramanyam, Chief Security Officer A S C Wesley, pilot Group Capt S K Bhatia and co-pilot Capt M S Reddy were killed on September 2, when the chopper crashed an hour after it took off from Hyderabad. The late Chief Minister was flying to Chittoor to take part in a ”Rachchabanda” (mass contact programme) with villagers.
—–Agencies