Hyderabad: The TRS and Congress on Tuesday sparred over the legacy of former prime minister P.V. Narsimha Rao.
Leader of Opposition K. Jana Reddy said the TRS was using PV’s name to whip up sentiments while Minister G. Jagadish Reddy said the Congress had “tormented” the former Prime Minister and “sent him to jail when they didn’t require him.” Both sides later asked for these comments to be withdrawn.
Speaking during the debate on the Budget, Mr Jana Reddy said the TRS was only celebrating Narsimha Rao’s anniversary to whip up sentiments. To this, IT minister K.T. Rama Rao said, “We are happy that Congress leaders have at least now mustered the courage to utter his name. Earlier they wouldn’t dare take his name.”
He said, “He should be awarded the Bharat Ratna. We will incorporate his life history in the school curriculum.” But Mr Jana Reddy argued that Narsimha Rao became PM due to the Congress. “The Congress made him the PM even though he was not a MP,” Mr Jana Reddy said.
To this, education minister G. Jagadish Reddy said, “The Congress made him the Prime Minister because on that day he was the only one who could have run the government.
They used him to run the minority government. We won’t get votes by remembering him now. Congress tormented him and sent him to jail after they were done with him.”
Buckling under the TRS onslaught, Mr Jana Reddy suggested that the matter be left there but drew flak as he appeared to downplay it. “It is a small matter. But withdraw the remark that the Congress sent him to jail,” Mr Jana Reddy said. This drew criticism from the treasury benches.
Irrigation minister T. Harish Rao suggested, “Jana Reddy should withdraw his remark that we are trying to whip up sentiments. But it is true that cases were framed against Narsimha Rao and he was tormented.”
