Opposition parties in the Telangana Legislative Assembly including the BJP extended their support to the resolution seeking conferment of Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award, on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The resolution was moved by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy during a special session of Assembly on Monday (December 30, 2024).
The Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) urged the Treasury Benches to ensure passage of a similar resolution urging the Central Government to set up a memorial for former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao claiming that Mr. Narasimha Rao did not get the recognition due to him.
BRS MLA and the party’s working president K.T. Rama Rao recalled Mr. Narasimha Rao’s leadership and Mr. Singh’s efficiency ushered in revolutionary changes in the country’s economic landscape making it among the top economies of the world. “Manmohan Singh was a synonym for simple living and high thinking. He is the silent architect of modern India,” he said.
Mr. Rama Rao said Mr. Singh understood the intensity of the struggle for separate Telangana State and extended his support to democratic struggles. This could be seen from the manner in which he ensured the passage of the AP Reorganisation Act 2014 in both the Houses of the Parliament.
“The Central Government has accorded respectable send off to Mr. Singh unlike Mr. Narasimha Rao. The Assembly should pass a resolution seeking a memorial to Mr. Narasimha Rao, who brought Mr. Singh into politics, in the national capital,” he said.
Another BRS member T. Harish Rao lamented that the Legislative Council was not convened to pass a condolence resolution in spite of the fact that Mr. Singh was a member of the Upper House for 33 years. He welcomed the resolution seeking conferment of Bharat Ratna on Mr. Singh and requested Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to name the upcoming Skills University after the former Prime Minister as a tribute for his contributions to the country.
BJP floor leader Alleti Maheshwar Reddy said Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Dr. Singh’s house shortly after the news of his demise came out to pay tributes and announced the Government’s decision to construct a memorial for the departed leader in the national capital. “Narasimha Rao, son of Telangana soil, has no memorial in Delhi nor did the Congress Government contemplate conferment of Bharat Ratna on him,” he said.
Mr. Maheshwar Reddy’s comment that senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had decided to celebrate the new year in Vietnam in spite of the seven day mourning announced by the Centre, created mild flutter in the House. Speaker G. Prasad Kumar announced that the remarks made by the BJP member deviating from the condolence motion would be expunged from the record.
CPI member Kunamaneni Sambasiva Rao requested the members not to politicise the discussion on the condolence motion and said Mr. Singh was known for his honesty and integrity. He recalled the role of the Left parties in the enactment of legislations like NREGA, Forest Rights Act and RTI and said these Acts changed the course of the country.
MIM member Mir Zulfeqar Ali said Mr. Singh took countless initiatives to transform the country into an economic power house. He made momentous contributions for the welfare of the minorities besides ushering in revolutionary changes through NREGA, Right To Information and Right To Education Acts.
Published – December 30, 2024 04:52 pm IST
