Rich tributes were paid to former Prime Minister P.V . Narasimha Rao on his 101 st birth anniversary here on Tuesday.
At P.V . Ghat, where the late leader’s memorial is located, Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, Telangana Ministers T. Srinivas Yadav , Md . Mahamood Ali and C. Malla Reddy, MLC and PV’s daughter S. Vani Devi, Advisor to Government K.V . Ramanachary and leaders of other parties paid floral tributes to a portrait of the late leader.
Speaking after paying tributes, Mr. Srinivas Yadav demanded that the Centre bestow ‘Bharat Ratna ’ on P.V . Narasimha Rao who took the country’s image to greater heights with his administrative acumen and visionary policy decisions. He said it was unfortunate that the Centre continues to neglect PV who bailed the country out of unprecedented financial crisis and introduced economic reforms to change the course of country’s economic path.
On the premises of Telangana legislature buildings, Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Council Chairman Gutha Sukender Reddy, Council Whip M.S . Prabhakar Rao, Legislature Secretary V. Narasimha Acharyulu and others garlanded a portrait of PV and paid tributes. They said it was PV who introduced land reforms when he was Chief Minister of combined Andhra Pradesh and economic reforms when he was Prime Minister.
‘Pride of the nation’
Congress leaders led by the TPCC president, A. Revanth Reddy paid tributes to P.V . Narasimha Rao.
Mr. Reddy along with TPCC working president, Anjan Kumar Yadav and others offered floral tributes and reminded the services of the late Prime Minister in changing the very face of India with economic reforms. He hailed the land reforms brought when PV was the Chief Minister ensuring that the landless owned land.
Stating that the Congress always respected and revered PV , he said the late PM was the pride of the nation. He had inspired many tall politicians and people like S. Jaipal Reddy followed in his footsteps.
Mr. Reddy also criticised the Telangana government for not fulfilling its promise of creating a museum for PV at his ancestral home in Vangara in erstwhile Karimnagar district.
Former PCC president, V. Hanmanth Rao said the lands given by PV to the poor people were being snatched by the TRS government. Addressing a press conference, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was selling the industries that were created by the Congress government including PV Narasimha Rao. In a statement from Washington, former PCC president Ponnala Lakshmaiah said PV had many firsts including the first from South India to head the office and the first non-Hindi speaking PM.
Talking to the media after paying tributes to the former Prime Minister at the PV Ghat, BJP State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for “ignoring” former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, after using the latter’s “charisma and legacy for political gains”.
KCR had sung praise for PV but did not care to pay respects on the leader’s birth anniversary since there are “no elections now”.
“This is an insult to the PV’s family and his legacy,” he said. The Karimnagar MP also came down heavily on the Congress party, saying that they had never respected PV as the Prime Minister despite his political and administrative acumen, as he was not from the Gandhi family.
At a meeting held at Manthani , tributes were paid to P V Narasimha Rao. The late leader represented Manthani constituency for four times in united Andhra Pradesh.
