HYDERABAD: Telangana police did not allow family members and activists to place the mortal remains of Professor GN Saibaba inside the premises of Telangana Martyrs Memorial at Gun Park in Hyderabad. However, the activists insisted and kept the hearse van at the Gun Park for nearly an hour following an argument with the cops.
Speaking to TNIE, Convenor of Forum Against Repression K Ravichander said that the police didn’t allow stating that no bodies allowed inside the Martyrs Memorial. He said that they wanted to pay tributes to Saibaba given latter’s contribution in Telangana movement.
The police declining permission to place mortal remains of Saibaba has attracted widespread criticism.
“Is this the Mohabbat Ki Dukaan you keep fooling people about @RahulGandhi Ji? Shameless double standards! The Telangana police under the instructions of your party colleague Revanth Reddy have stopped Professor Saibaba’s body from being placed at the Telangana Martyrs' Memorial in Hyderabad.
Family members, civil society leaders, and civil rights activists expressed their anguish at this draconian act. They had to pay their respects to the Martyrs' Memorial, even as Professor’s body remained in the ambulance. Amid rising tensions, Professor Saibaba’s body was taken from Gun Park to his home in Maula Ali,” tweeted former Telangana digital media director Konatham Dileep.
Noted civil rights activist Saibaba breathed his last owing to post-surgery-related complications on Saturday. His family will be handing over his body to State-run Gandhi Hospital for academic and research purposes.
It is pertinent to mention here that he was acquitted and released by Nagapur Bench.
In March, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court set aside the conviction of former Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba and five others in the alleged Maoist links case.