Hyderabad, Sep 4 - Thousands of people were unable to pay their last respects to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and had to return disappointed from the L.B. Stadium where his body was kept for an hour.

Grieving men and women vied with each other to get closer to the place where the body was kept. They broke barricades and even climbed on the walls to reach near the body of the leader.

However, the stampede at the stadium and bad weather in Kadapa, YSR's native town where he would be buried later Friday, forced authorities to move the body to the airport much before the scheduled time.

'I beg you to stop. I want to see my leader. Please allow me,' an ailing woman told policemen with folded hands when the body was being taken away.

Another woman fainted in the stampede. Some were lucky to reach near the body but majority of the mourners could not even enter the stadium as it was filled to capacity.