Freedom fighter, Telangana leader Bapuji is dead

Eminent freedom fighter and a well-known figure in the Telangana movement, Konda Lakshman Bapuji died here Friday. He was 96.

Bapuji, who was not keeping well for the last few months, breathed his last at his home in Ashok Nagar, family members said.

He is survived by two sons and a daughter.

Born on Sep 27, 1915 at Wankidi in Adilabad district, Konda Lakshman earned the nickname Bapuji for his participation in Quit India Movement.

Bapuji, a socialist, took active part in the armed struggle against the Nizam government of then Hyderabad State.

He resigned as minister in the Andhra Pradesh cabinet in 1969 to join the movement for separate statehood to Telangana.

The veteran leader had also observed a seven-day fast in Delhi late last year to press the demand for Telangana state and had threatened to go on indefinite fast to achieve the goal.

He along with several intellectuals and freedom fighters from Telangana had floated a front last year to intensify the Telangana movement.

He differed with Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and other political parties fighting for a separate state and had launched a series of meetings with leaders from the Andhra region to convince them to agree for bifurcation of the state.

TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao, Telangana Joint Action Committee convenor M. Kodandaram, BJP state president G. Kishan Reddy and leaders from other parties have mourned the death of Bapuji.

TRS leader E. Rajender termed Bapuji's death as a big loss for the Telangana movement.