Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday moved a resolution in the State Legislative Assembly demanding the Centre to confer Bharat Ratna on former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, an architect of economic reforms in the country.

The Chief Minister recalled the services rendered by Rao to the nation in various capacities, including as the Chief Minister of the United Andhra Pradesh, the Union Minister and the Prime Minister.

Known as a statesman and a leader, who was instrumental in bringing economic reforms, which helped India to transition to a new economy and move on to the growth path, PV, as he was known, during his regime as the Prime Minister, paved for new generation economy, creation of new employment opportunities and promoted India as a destination for global investments and foreign direct investments.

KCR said PV was instrumental in bringing about land reforms in Telangana and his large heart can be assessed from his gesture of donating 800 acres of his family land to the poor on his native village. As a part of the Telangana Government's efforts to pay tributes to the former PM, the Government has decided to organise a year-long birth centenary celebrations as a respect to ‘Telugu Bidda.’

He described him as a statesmen, intellectual, multifaceted scholar and linguist. After appointing economist Manmohan Singh as Union Minister of Finance, the rule of licence and permit system was dismantled and the country was put on growth trajectory. Therefore, he is father of new economic policies and architect of global India, he said.

As the External Affairs Minister, Rao recognised Israel and established diplomatic relations with that country.

He was a scholar, who could speak several languages including Telugu, Sanskrit, Marathi, Kannada, Urdu, Persian among others, and could also eloquently speak English and French.

AIMIM Party has informed it has decided to boycott today's proceedings in Telangana Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council. "Our Party cannot support resolution and discussion on Centenery Celebrations of Late PV Narasimha Rao," the AIMIM statement said.

comment COMMENT NOW