HYDERABAD: The mortal remains of Prof GN Saibaba were donated to the Gandhi Hospital by his family and friends for academic and research purposes on Monday.
While handing over the body to the hospital, Saibaba’s daughter Manjeera said: “He [Prof GN Saibaba] believed that everyone should donate their bodies for medical research so that the next generation can learn. That is the way society will move forward. Although I lost my dad, I don’t feel the loss, because I know he is still teaching even after his death.”
Earlier in the day, the police didn’t allow family members and activists to place the mortal remains of Prof GN Saibaba at the Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial at Gun Park. However, the activists were insistent and kept the hearse at Gun Park for nearly an hour amidst arguments.
Speaking to TNIE, Forum Against Repression convenor K Ravichander said that the police didn’t allow stating that no bodies were allowed inside the martyrs memorial. He said that they wanted to pay tributes to Saibaba given the latter’s contribution to the Telangana movement.
The police’s decision to decline permission to place Saibaba’s mortal remains there has attracted 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 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,” former Telangana digital media director Konatham Dileep posted on X.
Slogans raised against KTR
Later in the day, his body was shifted to his brother’s apartment for the public to pay homage. Former ministers KT Rama Rao, T Harish Rao, MLC M Kodandaram, Prof G Haragopal, Congress leader Madhu Yaskhi, and many activists paid tributes to Saibaba.
The activists also raised slogans against ‘Operation Kagar’ demanding that the Centre stop it immediately. They said that ‘revolution cannot be stopped by sentencing or subjecting to death penalty’.
The activists also raised “KTR go back” slogans.
It is pertinent to mention here that Prof Saibaba was acquitted and released by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay HC which has set aside his conviction in the alleged Maoist links case after prolonged imprisonment. During his imprisonment, he was not given access to proper medical care or bail to pay last respects to his mother. He breathed his last seven months after being released from the jail following postoperative complications after undergoing surgery for gallbladder stones at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) here on Saturday.