While Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy hailed veteran BJP leader and governor of Haryana Bandaru Dattatreya for organising Alai-Balai, an annual socio-cultural get-together, and upholding the tradition of Telangana, CPI leader K Narayana boycotted the event blaming the BJP government at the Centre for the death of Prof GN Saibaba.

A professor of the Delhi University Saibaba was incarcerated for ten long years on charges of having links with Maoists before the court acquitted him but passed away yesterday after developing complications following a gall bladder surgery.

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Saibaba had blamed the jail authorities for denying him medical help leading to his declining health.

Every year after Dussehra, all politicians, irrespective of their political ideologies, attend the programme. This year, the event organised at the Exhibition Grounds at Nampally was attended by Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, the chief minister, former vice_president M Venkaiah Naidu, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Minister Satya Kumar Yadav apart from other ministers of the Telangana government.

Addressing the gathering, Reddy lauded the efforts of Dattatreya in continuing to hold Alai Balai for 19 long years. “Alai Balai programme inspired the formation of the political joint action committee (JAC) when the creation of the separate Telangana statehood was delayed. It also highlighted the importance of preserving Telangana culture.

Earlier, party-wise programmes were held in erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh. It was Alai Balai which played a vital role in activating every section and moving forward during the Telangana movement,” said the chief minister.

He said political leaders gave the message that “we are all united” by attending Alai Balai.

However, CPI leader K Narayana declined to attend the event even though he had accepted the invitation earlier. “Dr Saibaba was in jail for ten years before the court acquitted him. He was a Delhi University professor. Your government arrested him, his health was spoiled, and then one month ago the court acquitted him. But who is the culprit,” asked Narayana, who sent a letter to Dattatreya apart from recording a video message to express his resentment.

“As a protest, I don’t want to come to your function. Excuse me. Though we had political differences, I wholeheartedly support him as a human being,” he said, adding, “You are a gentleman but ultimately you represent the same government that is responsible for his death.”

Danasari Seethakka, the Panchayati Raj and rural development minister, condoled the death of Prof Saibaba, saying, “I am deeply saddened by the death of Prof GN Saibaba. A humanitarian who constantly fought for people’s rights, He worked to eradicate inequality in the society throughout his life,” said Seethakka, a former Maoists who joined mainstream politics.

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said, “His (Saibaba’s) death was also partly a result of the UAPA that allows cops to keep you in prison for lengthy periods without any evidence.”