Former Andhra speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao's last rites to be performed with full state honours

NARASARAOPET: State government has decided to perform the last rites of former Andhra Pradesh assembly speaker Dr Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, who committed suicide on Monday, with full state honours. Chief minister YS Jagan has directed the chief secretary LV Subramanyam to make arrangements accordingly.
The last rites will be performed in Narasaraopet on Wednesday. The chief secretary asked the district collector I Samuel Anand Kumar to stay in Narasaraopet to oversee the arrangements for the funeral of former speaker. Setting the controversies aside, the state government had decided to perform the last rites of Dr Kodela with state honours keeping in view of his political career spaning over near four-decades. Dr Kodela was a six-time legislator and first speaker of AP assembly post bifurcation. He had also served as cabinet minister under NT Ramarao and Chandrababu Naidu.
Meanwhile, massive police forces have been deployed in the town keeping in view of the volatile political situation. Guntur rural SP R Jayalakshmi had been in the town since the former speaker’s death on Monday. SP rank officials Gajarao Bhupal and Vishal Gunni were also deputed to Narasaraopet to oversee the security arrangements. Guntur and Narasaraopet revenue divisional officers clamped section 144 of CrPC following the requests made by the respective sub-divisional police officers. Section 30 of police was also clamped in the district as a precautionary measure.
Although, TDP criticized the move to impose section 144 of Cr PC, police said that prohibitory orders were imposed only to protect the law and order. The police, however, clarified that they would not be creating any hurdles to the funeral rally of former assembly speaker. Police said that restrictions would be in force only to prevent untoward incidents in the town during the final journey of the departed leader. "We are taking all measures for the safety of the VIPs attending the funeral of Dr Kodela Sivaprasada Rao and security of commoners," said SP Jayalakshmi. She said that they would make the security arrangements along the final procession after consulting the family members of Dr Kodela.
Meanwhile, body of Dr Kodela Sivaprasada Rao was moved to Narasaraopet from Hyderabad. Party leaders and activists in Nalgonda and Krishna districts stopped the vehicle carrying the body of Dr Kodela and paid tributes. Dr Kodela’s son Dr Sivaram who was in Kenya when his father committed suicide, rushed back to home on Tuesday. A visibly shaken Dr Sivaram refused to speak to the media at Gannavaram airport. "I am not in a state to speak anything at this juncture," said Dr Sivaram while leaving airport.