Expressions of shock and grief over the passing away of Telangana ideologue and academician Professor Kothapalli Jayashankar began to flood in, even as leaders and admirers of the man who made the separate state his goal in life, made a beeline to Warangal to pay their last respects on Tuesday.
Speaking to media persons here after laying a wreath on the body of the late academician, Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao said that the separate statehood movement has lost one of its most loyal soldier and a great leader.
Prof Jayashankar was the founder-member of the TRS.
KCR said that the Professor’s death was a huge loss for the Telangana region in general and to the separate statehood movement in particular. He called on all the Telangana protagonists to work with renewed vigour to fulfill Prof Jayashankar’s dream of a separate Telangana state.
Paying floral tributes to departed soul at his residence, Telangana Political Joint Action Committee convenor M Kodandaram too echoed KCR’s words, saying that Prof Jayashankar death was major loss to Telangana movement.
He too called upon Telangana leaders and activists to fulfill the dream of Telangana state formation.
TRS Floor Leader in the state Assembly Etela Rajender, Telangana Jagruthi president K Kavitha and other TRS MLAs expressed grief over the Prof Jayashankar’s death. “Jayashankar death is huge loss to the Telangana agitation,” they stated.
Apart from Telangana leaders, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Pradesh Congress Committee president Botsa Satyanarayana, Praja Rajyam president K Chiranjeevi, Telugu Desam party president N Chandrababu Naidu, former chief minister K Rosaiah, former PCC chief D Srinivas, Communist Party of India state secretary K Narayana, CPM secretary B V Raghavulu, Bharatiya Janata Party state unit president G Kishen Reddy and party leaders Ch Vidyasagar Rao and Bandaru Dattatreya, Lok Satta Party president Jayaprakash Narayan, MPs and MLAs condoled his sudden death.
In a media statement, LSP chief Jayaprakash Narayan pointed out that Prof Jayashankar was a fierce champion of federalism and a dedicated worker for people’s empowerment in Telangana. “He pursued with vigor and determination the causes he believed in,” Dr Narayan said.
Professor Jayashankar’s body has been placed in the Ekashila Park to enable people to pay their respects.