House bats for Bharat Ratna for PV Narasimha Rao

Hyderabad: The Telangana Assembly on Tuesday passed a unanimous resolution demanding Bharat Ratna to former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao.

Leader of the House and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao moved a resolution in the House urging the Centre to confer Bharat Ratna on PV Narasimha Rao and also to name Hyderabad Central University after the late PM, referring to him as 'Telangana Muddu Bidda'. He also urged the Speaker to have a portrait of PV on the Assembly premises.

The CM recalled the services of PV to the nation in different capacities, including as Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh and union minister. He said PV was instrumental in bringing economic reforms that helped India move on the path of growth at a faster pace.

The creation of new employment opportunities and increased foreign direct investments were the result of PV's economic initiatives that promoted India as a global destination for investments. Despite being from the family of landlords, PV brought land reforms in Telangana and donated over 800 acres of his land to the poor, the CM noted.

Stating that PV Narasimha Rao was the maker of Global India, Chandrashekar Rao said that PV proved his forte by appointing an economist Manmohan Singh as Union Minister of Finance, a person who had no relation with politics. "Today, we are enjoying the fruits of trees planted by PV in the form of reforms. He is the father of new economic policies and architect of global India," opined Rao.

The Chief Minister said that it was PV who was able to influence the then President of United States of America Bill Clinton to favour India over Pakistan. He put aside the border issue with China and went to Beijing by proposing to develop trade relations with the country and came to an agreement. It is his diplomacy which has enforced the peace to continue along the Indo-China border for around three decades, said the CM.

Information Technology Minister KT Rama Rao said that many Telangana noted personalities including former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao did not get the respect he deserved in the united Andhra Pradesh.

Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka supported the resolution stating that whenever the country gets into economic crisis, they remember PV for his liberal economic policies. "PV recited Vandemataram in Osmania University, which was banned by the Nizam government," Mallu noted. BJP MLA T Raja Singh remembered PV's work from 1991 to 1996.

Several other members also supported the resolution. The ruling party members wanted memorials at places where PV was born, studied and rendered his services. Interestingly, MIM members remained absent from the House when the House was discussing the resolution.