WARANGAL: Funeral rites of veteran freedom fighter, Bhupati Krishnamurthy, popularly known as Telangana Gandhi, were performed with state honours here on Monday. Krishnamurthy, who was the president of Telangna Praja Samithi (TPS) died here on Sunday night. He was 89-years-old and is survived by a son and daughter.
Deputy chief minister Kadiyam Srihari, TJAC chairman M Kodandaram, PCC president Ponnala Lakshmaiah, district collector Vakati Karuna, superintendent of police Ambar Kishor Jha and several others, paid respects to the departed leader.
The funeral procession was taken from his residence in Girimajipet to Vysya cremation grounds at SRR Thota on the city outskirts. Krishnamurthy was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and accompanied Gandhi on his visit to Warangal town then.
He fought against the British and Nizam rulers and also participated in the struggle for a separate Telangana. He, however, refused to merge TPS with TRS party and remained a lone fighter till the end. His relatives said, Krishnamurthy does not even own a house and lost all his wealth fighting for freedom of the country and later for Telangana.
Sources in TRS party said they were planning to celebrate his 90th birthday on February 21 on a grand scale, and now his demise has come as shock for the entire party. Chief Minister, K Chandrasekhar Rao expressed his condolences to the bereaved family.