Thousands bid tearful farewell to Goutham Reddy
The Hindu
Jagan leads dignitaries in paying homage to the departed Cabinet colleague
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy led a large number of dignitaries in paying a tearful farewell to departed Information Technology Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy as his mortal remains were consigned to flames with State honours at Udayagiri in Nellore district on Wednesday.
Assembly Speaker T. Seethram, Government Adviser (Public Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, Government Chief Whip G. Srikanth Reddy, Ministers P. Anil Kumar, B. Srinivasa Reddy, A. Suresh, B. Rajendranath Reddy, M. Sankaranarayana and P. Venkatramaiah were among those who paid their last respects as Goutham Reddy’s son Krishnarjun Reddy lit the funeral pyre. Goutham Reddy’s father and former YSRC Parliamentary Party leader Rajamohan Reddy was present.
A galaxy of leaders, including Members of Parliament Ayodhya Ramireddy, P.V. Mithun Reddy, A. Prabhakar Reddy, M. Gurumoorthy and Galla Jayadav; legislators M. Chandrasekhar Reddy, B. Karunakar Reddy, K. Govardhan Reddy, A. Ramanarayana Reddy, K. Sanjeeviah, Ramireddy Pratap Kumar Reddy, V. Varaprasada Rao, K. Balarama Krishnamurthy, and A. Ram Babu; and MLCs Pothula Sunitha, B. Kalyan Chakravarthi and Vakatti Narayana Reddy paid homage to the departed leader.
It was a sea of humanity at the sprawling Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy Institute of Technology and Science (MeRITS), as a large number of admirers of Goutham Reddy assembled to have a glimpse of their beloved leader, who had striven for bringing the Penna river water from the Somasila reservoir to the parched lands in the drought-prone northern parts of Nellore district.
People gathered on both sides of the road en route and raised slogans such as ‘Goutham Anna Amar Hai’, as the last journey began from the Minister’s Nellore residence covering a distance of 100 km.
The flower bedecked vehicle, with the body wrapped in tricolour, passed through Buchireddipalem, Sangam, Nellorepalem, Marripadu and Brahmanapalli, the native village of Goutham Reddy, as his followers broke down in tears unable to come to terms with the untimely demise of the Minister, who had represented the backward Atmakur in the State Assembly twice.
Nellore District Collector K.V.N. Chakradhar Babu, along with South Coastal region Deputy Inspector General C.M. Trivikram Varma, ensured orderly flow of the mourners on the occasion.
The Banyan launches the Keshav Desiraju Lived Experience Repository in Chennai to preserve mental illness narratives across various formats.
MetLife Stadium will host the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on July 19, with 104 matches across North America.
Former IAS officer Pradeep Sharma sentenced to five years for money laundering, causing ₹1.20 crore loss to the government.
The Dr. Mrs. YGP Centenary Annual Festival of Music and Dance launched at PSBB, celebrating classical arts and education.
CMC hosts a torch rally with 125 volunteers in Vellore to celebrate 125 years of dedicated service.
Government Women's Polytechnic in Nellore faces urgent repairs, yet funds remain unrequested due to budget constraints, risking student safety.
Author Salma and ‘Ervadi’ S. Radhakrishnan honored with Kaviko award at a ceremony in Vellore, receiving recognition and cash prize.
Mangaluru police arrest four individuals and seize half a kg of MDMA worth ₹50 lakh intended for local youth.
Uddhav Thackeray calls for appointing Leaders of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly, stressing the need for constitutional compliance ahead of the Winter Session.
Shashi Tharoor highlights English's significance in India, emphasizing its enriched lexicon through Indian word borrowings at a literature festival.
Cricket fans in Vizag enjoyed a thrilling ODI as Kohli, Rohit, and Jaiswal delivered memorable performances for Team India.
Congress leaders, including Kharge and Gandhi, meet to address the Karnataka leadership struggle, planning further discussions.
Kerala's local body polls focus on regional issues and candidates, not a referendum on the LDF government, experts say.