PM Modi to unveil statue of Alluri Sitarama Raju today

Vijayawada: The stage is ready for unveiling of the statue of Alluri Sitarama Raju on the 125th birth anniversary and as part of Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday at Peda Amiram, near Bhimavaram.

The Prime Minister will reach Vijayawada from Hyderabad at 9.30 am and will take off for Bhimavaram by a chopper at 10.10 am. He will unveil the 30-feet Alluri Sitarama Raju statue costing Rs 3 crore by the Kshatriya Seva Samithi at Municipal Park in ASR Nagar. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will also participate in the programme.

Later, the Prime Minister will address a public meeting at Peda Amiram near Bhimavaram.

Union Minister of Tourism Kishan Reddy, Governor Biswabushan Harichandan, film actor Chiranjeevi, TDP and Jana Sena leaders are going to attend the Prime Minister's programme.

The big question that is causing sensation in political circles and Bhimavaram is will MP Raghurama Krishnam Raju attend the function or not. This area falls under the Narsapuram Lok Sabha constituency represented by Raju. Raju alleged that the Government had violated the protocol and had not invited him. 

He said he was determined to attend the function and if he was not given an invite, he would sit among the general public at the meeting. He alleged that the state government has been trying to create hurdles for his visit. The MP said that the police denied permission for landing his helicopter on some pretext or other and were trying to arrest him if he proceeded by road. He said that though the court gave permission for his visit to his constituency, the state government was trying to create hurdles in one way or other.