In a contrasting display of priorities, while the BRS Party has honoured many Telangana icons, the Congress party is struck with only three names when naming any important project or place. Yesterday, CM Revanth Reddy laid the foundation stone for installing a Rajiv Gandhi statue opposite the Telangana Secretariat. Initially, the previous BRS government had planned to install the Telangana Thalli statue in the same place. This decision has stirred controversy in the state.
The Congress government’s tendency to name major projects after former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi is not new. Over the last 70 years, many key projects in Telangana, such as the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Rajiv Gandhi Outer Ring Road, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Indira Gandhi Statue Circle, Indira Gandhi Chowk, Nehru Zoological Park, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, to name a few, were named after them. There are hundreds of important places and projects in Telangana named after just three people by the Congress Party.
In contrast, within just 9.5 years of ruling, the BRS honored many Telangana luminaries, such as former PM PV Narasimha Rao, popular poet Kaloji Narayana Rao, Telangana ideologue Prof. Jayashankar, Telangana martyr Srikantha Chary, freedom fighter Konda Laxman Bapuji, tribal leader Kumuram Bheem, and celebrated many local gods, goddesses, and local kings.
The projects such as Prof Jayashankar Agriculture University, Kaloji Narayana Rao Health University, PV Narasimha Rao Marg, Nayini Narsimha Reddy Steel Bridge, Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University, Mallanna Sagar, Kondapochamma Sagar, Kumuram Bheem Asifabad District, PV Narasimha Rao Veterinary University, Kumuram Bheem Irrigation Project, Prof Jayashankar Bhupalpally District, Srikantha Chary Junction, Mission Bhagiratha, Mission Kakatiya, Sammakka Barrage, Laxmi Barrage, Saraswathi Barrage, Parvathi Barrage, Nandi barrage etc, elucidate the inclusive thought process adopted by the BRS government.