Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao did not leave home to celebrate his birthday on Sunday, as a mark of respect to the martys of the Pulwama terror attack. His family members and party activists marked the occasion by planting trees and encouraging people to donate organs.
Mr Rao’s wife Shoba and son and TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao planted a sapling each at Pragathi Bhavan.
In his greetings, Mr Rama Rao said, “Many wishes to a rare leader and a fighter who personifies courage, commitment and grit. Proud that he is also my father.” TRS MLA T. Harish Rao took up a plantation drive at Siddipet. In a tweet, Mr Harish Rao called the CM “Telangana Jathipita (father of Telangana)” and hoped he would celebrate his 100 years.
Telangana Jagruti led by Mr Rao’s daughter and TRS MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha and Rajya Sabha member Joginapally Santosh Kumar organised Jeevandan, an organ donation registration drive, at People's Plaza. Similar programmes were held in all 33 districts.
As part of the programme, 50,000 organs donors are to be enrolled till Mr Rao’s birthday next year. A two-minute silence was observed in memory of the Pulwama martyrs.
Mr Rao’s fans from various parts of AP and TS offered special prayers at temples, including to Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala. TRS Kodad legislator Bollam Mallaiah Yadav and his followers offered coco-nuts to Lord Venkateswara at Akilandam, situated in front of the Tirumala temple.
Birthday wishes poured in for Mr Rao from different quarters of the country. President Ram Nath Kovi-nd, Prime Minister Naren-dra Modi, Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu and Gov-ernor E.S.L. Narasimhan greeted Mr Rao.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, AP Opposition leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy — both of them possible partners in his Federal Front — and other political leaders extended greetings to Mr Rao. TRS workers and leaders distributed fruits among patients at hospitals, donated blood and participated in welfare programmes. City Mayor Bonthu Rammohan and Deputy Mayor Baba Fasiuddin planted saplings at Chitrapuri Colony and Borabanda.
