Electrician to walk till Mecca

 Mohd Rahmathullah Khan is on his way to  Mecca

Mohd Rahmathullah Khan, of Bengaluru , an electrician by profession and out on his first Hajj, is attempting the pilgrimage with a difference- he is walking all the way to Mecca, an estimated distance of 7,000 km.

Khan,56, commenced his journey on February 5. He reached Adilabad town on Tuesday evening.   

Speaking to this newspaper, Khan said he has applied for permission from Ministry for External Affairs for his padayatra across the national borders for Hajj: he also wrote letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Sushma Swaraj requesting consideration of his case.

He applied for permission four months ago, and reminding external affairs ministry again on January 3. He is waiting for permission. Khan said that he is meanwhile walking 50-60 km from 6 am to 6.30 pm daily. He hopes to reach Mecca by August end.

Members of various Muslim organizations including members of Adilabad Haj Society and leaders of Congress and MIM welcomed Rahmathulla at Mavala grampanchayat on the outskirts of the Adilabad and gave him send off after a brief halt for lunch.

Rahmathullah said that he would reach Delhi via Nagpur and his final destination in Saudi Arabia covering nearly 7,000 km as part of his pilgrimage on foot. 

KTR plays his fathers' role on Bheem's anniversary

The minister for Panchayat Raj and IT K. Taraka Rama Rao has played his father Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s role at Jodeghat on the occasion of Komaram Bheem’s 75^th death anniversary.

Last year, Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao attended the same event and promised to develop the Jodeghat as tourist place and subsequently sanctioned Rs 25 crore.

In his speech, Rama Rao said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has gone to  Delhi to meet the Prime Minister Narendra Modi otherwise he would have attended the Komaram Bheems’ death anniversary and KCR asked the ministers including himself must attend the event.

Along with other Ministers, Ramarao inaugurated Jal, Jaungle and Jameen arch constructed at the Jodeghat and had meal along with Komaram Sonerao, grandson of late Komaram Bheem.     

The kind of security measures made for the KTR at the event reminded the security arrangements generally made for Chandrasekhar Rao. It was quite clear that Taraka Ramarao was a big figure on the dais though there were other three ministers and MLAs on the dais.

Taraka Ramarao begun his speech with greeting the Adivasis in their Gondi language saying ‘Sandirkin Nava Ramaram’ and got good response from the public. He personally received petitions from Adivasi leaders and various organizations and posed for photographs with Adivasi women on the dais. Even, Ramarao had interacted with the Adivasi leaders who put their demands before him.          

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