Leaders across the political spectrum in Telangana on Friday paid rich tributes to former Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao on his 103rd birth anniversary.
Leaders cutting across party lines recalled the services of the late leader, who was posthumously conferred Bharat Ratna in March this year.
Telangana ministers, leaders of the ruling Congress, opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and family members of the late leader visited PV Ghat on the banks of Hussain Sagar lake here to pay floral tributes.
State minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, senior Congress leaders K. Jana Reddy and V. Hanumantha Rao, former mayor T. Krishna Reddy, Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) leader M. Kodandaram, Narasimha Rao’s daughter and BRS MLC Vani Devi, son Prabhakar Rao, grandson and BJP leader N. V. Subhash were among those who paid tributes at PV Ghat.
The state government organised the birth anniversary programme at the PV Ghat. An all-religious prayer meeting was also held on the occasion.
Venkat Reddy said India and the Telugu people could never forget Narasimha Rao, who played a historic role as the architect of new economic reforms. The minister said the former Prime Minister was a polyglot and an intellectual who enhanced India’s prestige at the international level.
Vani Devi recalled that Narasimha Rao effectively ran a minority government for a full five-year term (1991-96) and led the country in overcoming many complex issues.
Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad and Legislative Council Chairman Gutta Sukhender Reddy offered tributes at a programme held at the Assembly.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Minister D. Sridhar Babu offered tributes at an event held in Delhi.
BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao offered tributes to Narasimha Rao at a programme held at party headquarters Telangana Bhavan.
Terming the former Prime Minister a multi-faceted personality, he said the late leader introduced reforms in several sectors. He mentioned that while introducing land reforms, Narasimha Rao handed over 800 acres of land of his family to the government.
PV, as Narasimha Rao was popularly known, was the first and only Telugu Prime Minister. Hailing from Vangara in Karimnagar district (now in Telangana), he had the distinction of being the first Prime Minister outside the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to complete a full five-year term.
PV, who also served as the Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh and as a Central minister, was known as a scholar, statesman, a polyglot and an author.
PV, who was elected to the Parliament in 1972, held several cabinet posts under Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi including Foreign Minister from 1980 to 1984.