Chandrababu raises pitch for Bharat Ratna for NTR

Hyderabad: Former chief minister and national president of TDP Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday said it was the strong desire of all Telugu persons to see the conferment of the highest civilian honour of the country Bharata Ratna on their party founder NT Rama Rao posthumously. He called upon the party to work as per the ideals of NTR. He made it clear that the party would stand by all the Telugu people wherever they are in the world.

Addressing party leaders and activists at NTR Trust Bhavan here after launching Intintiki Telugu Desam programme, he also distributed party kits for holding the programme. Naidu said all people of Telangana love TDP a lot and added that the strength of the party in Telangana was still intact. He said NTR had founded the TDP on the soil of Telangana and added that it was founded to protect the self respect of the Telugu people. He said the TDP has been fighting for the Telugu people for the last 41 years and added it had become synonymous with social justice.

He said their party was working for ensuring the equal distribution of fruits of development for all people and added that various types of welfare programmes had been launched by the TDP in the undivided Andhra Pradesh. He recalled that NTR had not only abolished Patel and Patwari system but also distributed land to the landless families of the State. He also recalled that NTR had abolished land cess to benefit the farmers besides ensuring women empowerment. He said it was NTR, who provided basic amenities in Telangana.