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Madhava Reddy to be cremated at 1500 IST

Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad

The cremation of Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Minister A Madhava Reddy, who was killed in a landmine blast triggered by the outlawed People's War Group of Naxalites on Tuesday night, will take place in Hyderabad on Wednesday afternoon.

The funeral procession will reach the Punjagutta crematorium at 1500 IST. The funeral pyre will be lit by his only son Sandeep Reddy.

The body of the slain minister was shifted to his residence at Kundan Bagh in the city in the early hours of today. State ministers, Telugu Desam Party functionaries and prominent opposition leaders visited the place to offer condolences to the bereaved family.

The body will be taken to the Telugu Desam Party office at NTR Trust to allow people and party men to pay their last respects to the departed soul.

Meanwhile, the state government has declared a holiday for schools, colleges and its offices today as a mark of respect to the slain minister. The state also declared a three-day state mourning.

Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu chaired a meeting of the state cabinet this morning. The cabinet adopted a resolution condoling the tragic death of Madhava Reddy and paid him rich tributes.

The police has sounded a red alert across the state. All entry points to the twin cities are being closely monitored by the police.

Speaking to the media, Home Minister T Devender Goud said that he had been constantly telling Madhava Reddy that he was a prime target during the civic poll campaigning and intelligence reports indicated this.

However, Madhava Reddy refused to step up his security. He was asked not to travel during night time but he did not heed the advice. All the same, the panchayat raj minister, who earlier handled the home portfolio, was provided with "Z" plus security.

Ever since the killing of three PWG central committee members in an alleged encounter with the police on December 2, 1999, Madhava Reddy was cautioned by the police to be wary of a Naxalite attack as the PWG was waiting to avenge the death of its leaders by targeting "someone big" in the government.

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