Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has expressed concern over the declining presence of Telugu origin leaders in the Corridors of Power at the national level.
Leaders like former President Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder N.T. Rama Rao and former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao had a say in national politics. Senior leaders such as M. Venkaiah Naidu and S. Jaipal Reddy sustained the momentum.
“We have to search for a Telugu person in the Union Cabinet as we don’t have a source to represent our issues at the national level. This can turn into an issue of identity and self respect in future,” he said.
The Chief Minister was speaking after releasing a book titled ‘Governorpet to Governor’s residence’, authored by Tamil Nadu former Governor and retired IPS officer P.S. Ramamohan Rao here on Sunday.
He stressed the need for the two States to walk together to restore the respect enjoyed by Telugus. “We are separated as States, but there is a need to work together for development,” he said.
Telugu is the second most spoken language in the country after Hindi and there is a need to ensure the same position in politics at the national level, he said.
“We are ready to take suggestions from experienced people like you,” he said, adding that the focus should be on the role of Telangana in the proposed $5 trillion economy and equally about its role in the country’s political landscape.
He recalled how MPs from South India used to be accommodated in the top five portfolios in the Union Cabinet in the past and lamented that the same was not the situation at present.
Mr. Revanth Reddy recalled NTR’s gesture of not fielding a candidate against Narasimha Rao when he contested from Nandyal Lok Sabha seat and said that the government was not averse to following good traditions.
Mr. Ramamohan Rao, who spoke about the book, said that he elaborated on the happenings he had seen from close quarters in the erstwhile united State right from the separate Telangana and Jai Andhra agitations as well as advent of NTR as the Chief Minister which resulted in change in the course of history. Mr. Rangayya Naidu, presiding over the meeting, explained his association with Mr. Ramamohan Rao and recalled the political developments in the mid and late 1980s. Director General of Police Ravi Gupta proposed the vote of thanks.
