Ire at funeral procession of Damera Rakesh: Youths attack Central government offices

He was rushed to the Gandhi Hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

WARANGAL: Emotionally-charged youths tried to cause damage to Central government establishments on Saturday even as the funeral procession of Damera Rakesh, who fell to police bullets on Friday, was in progress to his native village Dabeerpet where his last rites were performed later in the evening. Rakesh received a gunshot wound in the police firing while demonstrating against Agnipath, a scheme meant for recruitment to Armed Forces, at the Secunderabad Railway Station. He was rushed to the Gandhi Hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

The funeral procession of Damera Rakesh,
who died of bullet injuries sustained during
the protest at the Secunderabad Railway Station
on Friday, on its way to his native village
Dabeerpet where his last rites were performed
on Saturday |

The youths, who were seething with rage at the new scheme, which they believed would deprive them of a career in the Army, and Rakesh’s death, broke away from the funeral procession into two groups and resorted to vandalism.

Though Ministers Errabelli Dayakar Rao and Satyavathi Rathod, MP Maloth Kavitha, Government Whip Dasyam Vinay Bhaskar and MLA Challa Dharma Reddy and other leaders were present, the youths pelted stones at BSNL offices and tried to set fire to its signboards at Pochamma grounds here. Some also tried to attack the warehousing corporation shutters at Kasibugga.

The funeral procession began at the MGM Hospital in Warangal after a number of youths from neighbouring villages and towns reached the hospital. The procession wound through Pochamma Maidanam, Kasibugga, Venkatrama Junction, Janapeerulu, Geeskodna Narasampet, and finally Dabeerpet, the native village of Rakesh.

As the procession neared the railway station, some youths tried to force their way inside but the police, who were posted in good strength, foiled their attempts. They resorted to a mild lathi-charge and dispersed the crowd as they appeared intent on resorting to arson and vandalism.

Meanwhile, Minister Dayakar Rao and MP M Kavitha staged a protest against the Agnipath scheme sitting on the road at Kasibugga and Narsampet towns. They raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union government.

Warangal district Congress president Naini Rajender Reddy and other leaders were taken into custody and sent to Parvathagiri police station to prevent them from joining the funeral procession. Police forces were deployed at the Hanamkonda BJP president Rao Padma Reddy’s residence at Hunter Road as a precautionary measure. CPI secretariat member Takkellapally Srinivasa Rao condemned the ruling TRS’ attitude as he said he suspected it was taking advantage of Rakesh’s death to turn the people against the BJP.

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