PNS|Hyderabad
Secunderabad Cantonment MLA G. Sayanna was cremated on Monday without state honours.
On Monday evening, Sayanna’s followers demanded that the last rites should be held with state honours. After they placed Sayanna’s body on the pyre his followers began to protest.
They raised slogans against the government and the police and said that the Dalit MLA was being insulted by not being given state honours.
Some of Sayanna’s followers chanted ‘KCR down down.’ Sayanna’s followers stopped the last rites. Local BRS leaders tried to pacify them. His followers asked why a sitting MLA is not being given a state funeral when the government is conducting formal funerals for film actors.
“While film actors are being given full State honours, why not give it to a five-time Dalit legislator?” they asked. Ministers Talasani Srinivas Yadav and Ch. Malla Reddy who were till then part of the proceedings left the crematorium.
BRS leaders T. Padma Rao Goud, M. Hanumanth Rao and others were seen explaining the situation to protesters who continued their protest.
Police clarified to the protesters and family members that there was no official announcement by the government regarding the State funeral. After nearly an hour the funeral resumed.
On Monday, Minister KT Rama Rao paid final respects to Sayanna along with other leaders at Kharkhana.
The legislator’s body was moved from his residence in Ashok Nagar to Secunderabad Cantonment constituency office at Karkhana and kept there for several hours.
Sayanna breathed his last on Sunday due to a cardiac arrest. Sayanna had undergone bypass surgery earlier. A few years ago his left leg was amputated due to an infection triggered by diabetes. He was also undergoing dialysis.
On Friday, his family admitted him to hospital as he suddenly felt a pain in his back and was sweating all over his body. After two days, when it was expected that he would be transferred from the ICU to the general ward, he suddenly suffered a stroke and died on Sunday.
Sayanna leaves his wife Geetha and three daughters, Namrata, Lasya Nandita and Nivedita.
