HYDERABAD: The mortal remains of actor-politician Harikrishna were consigned to the flames amid poignant scenes at Mahaprasthanam cremation grounds in Jubilee Hills, here on Thursday.
The prominent Telugu Desam Party leader and favourite son of TDP founder and former Chief Minister of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh N.T.Rama Rao was given a full official funeral by the Telangana Government watched by scores of prominent political and film personalities including Ministers from the two Telugu states.
Harikrishna' s eldest son Kalyanaram lit the funeral pyre amid chanting of mantras, while contingents from the state armed police fired three rounds in the air and reversed the arms as a mark of respect to Harikrishna who was killed in a road accident on Wednesday.
In a rare gesture, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu who also acted as pall-bearer draped the body of Harikrishna with TDP flag.
Telangana Ministers K.T.Rama Rao,Talsani Srinivas Yadav and Thumala Nageshwar Rao and AP Ministers N.Lokesh, P.Pulla Rao and Devineni Umamaheshwar Rao and Retired judge of Supreme Court Justice Jasti Chelameswar were among the prominent people who attended last rites of the late TDP Politburo member.
Earlier, the body kept on a flower-bedecked truck was taken out in a huge procession from the late actor's Mehdipatnam residence followed by thousands of his fans,TDP leaders and workers.
After wending through the busy streets of Mehdipatnam, Jubilee Hills and whisper Valley, the procession reached the cremation grounds late on Thursday afternoon.
Police imposed traffic restrictions on roads between Mehdipatnam and Jubilee Hills in view of the funeral procession.