Communist Party of India (CPI) cadre from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu expressed deep shock over the demise of Vasumathi Devi, an active party member and wife of national secretary K. Narayana at their ancestral home in Ayanambakam village in Nagari constituency of Chittoor district on Thursday. Several senior leaders converged on Tirupati on Friday and paid their respects to the mortal remains.
Party’s national general secretary D. Raja, his wife Annie Raja, State secretaries K. Ramakrishna (Andhra Pradesh), Chada Venkata Reddy (Telangana) and R. Mutharasan (Tamil Nadu), joint secretary Muppalla Nageswara Rao, noted writer Ketu Viswanatha Reddy, AITUC State president Ravula Ravindranath, MLA Kathi Narasimha Reddy and MRPS leader Manda Krishna Madiga were among those who rushed to the party office in Tirupati to console the bereaved leader. YSRCP parliamentary party leader V. Vijaysai Reddy and local MP M. Gurumoorthy also paid their respects.
Ms. Devi had joined the student movement at AISF while pursuing M.Sc. Mathematics at SVU, following which the two entered into wedlock. She later rendered service as a bank employee. Many senior leaders recalled their association with Ms. Devi and lauded her for having taken over the family reins, even as Dr. Narayana spent his entire life for the communist movement.
The family handed over the mortal remains of Ms. Vasumathi Devi to Sri Venkateswara Medical College (SVMC) for furthering advanced research. It may be recalled that Dr. Narayana had presented the body of his mother Kankanala Adilakshmi to Gandhi Medical College after her demise in Hyderabad a few years back.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday expressed grief over the demise of Ms. Vasumathi Devi, and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family members.