Kick-starts NTR's centenary celebrations

Ongole: TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday launched 'Year-long celebrations of NTR's birth centenary' (that falls next year) while paying glowing tributes to party founder on the occasion of the latter's 99th birth anniversary. Naidu termed NT Rama Rao a champion of food security in the whole country as his Rs 2 per kg rice scheme paved the way for ending hunger and several governments followed suit.

He recalled how NTR rose to great heights with confidence and determination despite his humble agrarian background. NTR would always live in the hearts of the people and he was the pride and guiding light for Telugus all over the world, Naidu said.

Chandrababu Naidu led a motorcycle rally from Mahanadu venue and garlanded the statue of NTR at Addanki bus stand centre in here. He said the TDP would hold year-long programmes to commemorate NTR's birth centenary.

Addressing a meeting after garlanding the statue, Naidu said NTR had put Telugu people above everything else and sacrificed his flourishing 40 years of film career and founded the Telugu Desam Party to preserve the self-respect of Telugus. Referring to the alleged hurdles created by the authorities for the people thronging the Mahanadu venue in their vehicles in an attempt to prevent them from attending the meet, Naidu said lakhs of people got stranded on the highways and arterial roads due to police blockades. Yet, their zeal was remarkable as they preferred walking to the venue from long distances. The life of NTR should inspire the TDP lovers to take the fight against the injustices heaped on them to the ruling party, he said.