Warangal: Slain Agnipath protester Rakesh laid to rest

Warangal: Had he been alive, Damera Rakesh never would have got the appointment of even a single people's representative but he had almost all the top TRS leaders present at his funeral.

Such was the travesty of life! It was the funeral of Rakesh for namesake but it's all the way a showdown of the TRS might.

As the Opposition cried foul accusing the TRS of trying to gain political mileage even in the death of Rakesh who died in the police firing at Secunderabad railway station on Friday, Rakesh and his dream to become a soldier were laid to rest in his village Dabeerpet under Khanapuram mandal in Warangal district on emotionally charged Saturday.

It may be mentioned here that Rakesh was one among the hundreds of protestors who staged a protest at the Secunderabad railway station, opposing the Agnipath. He had cleared physical fitness and medical tests of the army recruitment, and was waiting for the Common Entrance Exam of the Army.

As the hearse vehicle carrying Rakesh headed to Dabeerpet from the MGM Hospital, the TRS cadres went on rampage damaging the assets of offices belonging to the Union Government in full view of Ministers Errabelli Dayakar Rao, Satyavathi Rathod, Chief Whip D Vinay Bhaskar and a host of legislators and MPs.

The police had a tough time in containing the TRS cadres as the latter set the sign boards on the premises of BSNL office at Pochamma Maidan, and Central Warehousing Corporation at Kasibugga. All the people's representatives remained mute spectators when the TRS cadres carried out attacks on Central government offices.

There was an effort to carry the funeral procession via Warangal railway station; however, the police didn't permit it. Despite this, some youth tried to barge into the Warangal railway station where a posse of police already deployed easily thwarted their effort. The TRS leaders also staged a protest at Narsampet enroute to Dabeerpet. Meanwhile, TRS leaders enforced a bandh in Narsampet town. It was a roar of a wailing when the procession reached Dabeerpet. Rakesh's parents Kumaraswamy and Phoolamma were inconsolable as the villagers.

On the other hand, the police stopped Warangal DCC president N Rajender Reddy and Left Party leaders from attending the funeral of Rakesh. TPCC resident A Revanth Reddy was taken into custody near Ghatkesar when he was on his way to Warangal to attend the funeral. Meanwhile, a clip went viral on social networking sites that some TRS leaders mobilised crowds from Jangaon and Station Ghanpur to participate in the funeral procession.