NELLORE: Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan, along with State Ministers Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Nadendla Manohar and Y Satya Kumar Yadav, Kavali MLA D Venkata Krishna Reddy, Sarvepalli MLA Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, Nellore Zonal APSRTC Chairman Sannapureddy Suresh Reddy, District Collector Anand, and SP G Krishnakanth, paid their last respects to Somishetty Madhusudhan Rao, a software engineer from Kavali, who fell victim to the terrorist attack.
They offered floral tributes to the moral remains of Rao at Kavali on Thursday, and consoled the bereaved family. Rao, a Bengaluru-based software engineer, went to Pahalgam on a family trip.
His wife Kamakshi recounted the horrific ordeal, narrating how terrorists casually approached, asked about their religion, and shot her husband in front of her and their children. “We went to Kashmir believing it was safe. I never imagined such a tragedy,” Kamakshi tearfully told Pawan Kalyan. The couple, both software professionals, had relocated from the US to Bengaluru during the Covid-19. Their daughter is studying Intermediate, and son is in Class VIII.
Visibly moved Pawan Kalyan said. “The pain of this family is indescribable. My heart burns with rage thinking of this carnage.”
Anam announced an ex gratia of Rs10 lakh from the State government to Rao’s family, underscoring their personal connection as the family lived near his own in Nellore.
Satya Kumar called April 22 a Dark Day in India’s history. He condemned the terrorist attack as an assault on the sentiments of 1.45 billion Indians.
A large number of people participated in the funeral procession of Rao. His parents Tirupalu (80) and Padmavathi, who run a banana business in Kummara Veedhi of Kavali, were devastated. The family’s plight has resonated deeply, with leaders vowing to ensure their financial stability. Pawan Kalyan assured Kamakshi that the government would support them in all aspects.
Jagan speaks to Rao’s wife
Meanwhile, YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy also reached out to the family of Rao. Jagan spoke to Rao’s wife Kamakshi, and brother-in-law Naresh over the phone. He reassured the family that they are not alone in their grief and that YSRCP stands with them.