Kothagudem: 'Public apathy killed my father' says Former MLA Sunnam Rajaiah's son Sitarama Raju

Kothagudem: Bhadrachalam former MLA late Sunnam Rajaiah's son Sitarama Raju alleged that his father died as he was alienated by the people in his native village.

He posted an audio clip on WhatsApp social media on Friday. He said in the audio, "My father was infected with coronavirus, but it's not corona that killed him. Few days after my father was tested positive, a few members in our family were also tested positive and the locals started to avoid him".

He further said that after his family members were diagnosed with Covid-19, Sunnamvarigudem village, which is a small one in VR Puram mandal in East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh was declared as containment zone. Later, villagers and party workers stayed away from him, which pained him most, Sitarama Raju noted.

He said when his father was going to their fields, which was his daily routine, the villagers used to hide behind trees and houses and sneak out to check whether he was gone or not.

'This kind of behaviour broke his heart as my father Sunnam Rajaiah used to support the public always, gave priority to them and the party workers more than the family. After he was tested positive, he was not able to digest the public reaction towards him,' Sitarama Raju lamented.

Public should have extended their support to him in times of crisis, which could have given him mental strength to live, he added.