Telangana: Tearful adieu bid to Gaddar

Full throated chants of ‘Gaddar Amar Rahe’ rent the air as mourners thronged the Maha Bodhi Vidyalaya ground in large numbers

Hyderabad: Revolutionary folk singer Gaddar was bid a tearful adieu on Monday with thousands reaching his residence at Alwal apart from the funeral venue.

The crowd that turned up to have a last glimpse of the popular balladeer was such that police was forced to resort to a mild lathi-charge after a stampede like situation prevailed at the Maha Bodhi Vidyalaya ground where Gaddar was laid to rest as per Buddhist rituals. Full throated chants of ‘Gaddar Amar Rahe’ rent the air as mourners thronged the place in large numbers.

Thousands of his admirers, supporters, followers and friends accompanied the vehicle carrying his body from LB Nagar Stadium to the school ground where the last rites were performed. Emotions ran high as many could not reach the venue of the funeral because of the crowd. People gathered all along the road leading to Alwal too for to bid farewell to Gaddar, who was laid to rest with State honours.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao reached the singer’s Alwal residence and paid his respects to the departed soul. He also consoled Gaddar’s family. Ministers T Harish Rao, T Srinivas Yadav and Vemula Prashant Reddy also joined the Chief Minister in paying their respects.

Several other leaders cutting across political lines and eminent personalities attended the funeral apart from reaching LB Stadium, where the body was kept for public viewing.

Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Ministers P Sabitha Indra Reddy, A Indrakaran Reddy, Errabelli Dayakar Rao, S Niranjan Reddy, BJP State president G Kishan Reddy and Congress Legislature Party leader Bhatti Vikramarka, State Planning Board vice-chairman B Vinod Kumar, MLAs Balka Suman, Rasamai Balakishan, C Kranti Kiran, Mynampally Hanmanth Rao, MLC Goreti Venkanna were among those who paid homage to Gaddar.