NELLORE: Even as blood relations are abandoning bodies of their kin, who succumbed to Covid, Tirupati legislator Bhumana Karunakar Reddy set up the last rites of 21 unclaimed bodies depending on the mortuary of Ruia Hospital at Tirupati on Wednesday.He garlanded the broken down bodies, most of which were originating foul-smell, and handed them over to his fans, who are members of Muslim Joint Action Committee, for cremation.

By the way, the JAC group had carried out last rites to 501 bodies during the first phase of Covid last year with the cooperation of Karunakar Reddy.Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, he lamented that fearing infection people were leaving their kin in the lurch.Stressing that monetary restraints are not the factor for the family members to neglect last rites, he said the fear over possible Covid infection has been keeping them away from lighting the pyre.

I am above 60 years old.

I have two times evaluated Covid positive.

Yet I am not afraid to participate in funeral services.

My intention is to repel unwarranted worries amongst individuals he discussed.

The MLA dispersed PPE kits to all Muslim JAC members and existed when 21 bodies were being placed on Mahaprasthanam and JAC vehicles.Tirupati civic body members Venkatesh, Narendra and SK Babu, chairman of Ruia Hospital development committee Chandrasekhar and superintendent Dr Bharathi existed.