Telangana | Opposition parties support resolution seeking Bharat Ratna for former PM Manmohan Singh  

Opposition parties in Telangana Assembly support resolution seeking Bharat Ratna for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, urge memorial for P.V. Narasimha Rao in the national capital

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.