VIJAYAWADA: Justifying the renaming of the Health University, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said in the state assembly on Wednesday that it was “a well thought-out move” to give “due credit” to Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy. At the same time, the CM stressed, he has no disrespect towards NTR.
Intervening during the motion on passing the bill to rename NTR Health University to Dr YSR Health University, the chief minister said due credit should be given to the deserving. “Dr YSR, a practising medical doctor before he joined politics, has been a pioneer in taking quality medicare to the common people through his innovative Aarogyasri besides the introduction of the 108, 104 ambulance services in AP.”
“Of the existing 11 medical colleges in the state, nine were functioning even before TD was formed and its remaining has come into being with the initiative of Dr YSR. Our government is adding 17 medical colleges to give a fillip to medicare. With this, 20 of the 28 medical colleges in the state came into being due to the efforts of YSR and his son. This itself is a credit which qualifies the renaming of the Health University.”
The chief minister said, “Chandrababu Naidu has no love lost for NTR. He had usurped the party and CM post from his father-in-law which led to mental agony to the founder of the party. While he could recommend central awards to the people who sided with him in backstabbing NTR, Chandrababu could not recommend NTR’s name for Bharat Ratna. We, on our part, have kept our promise of naming one district after NTR.”
Jagan said, “I have no grudge against NT Rama Rao. In the past too, there was no occasion I spoke against Rama Rao. I will not do anything to disrespect him. If we say the name Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, Chandrababu Naidu will not like it. If Chandrababu utters the name NT Rama Rao, the soul of NTR will not like it. There is no one not only in our Telugu states but in India who does not say NTR was a great actor and a great individual, a man of great fame. If Chandrababu's backstabbing had not happened, he might probably have lived for a longer time and would have completed his second term as chief minister. Chandrababu would never have become the CM if his backstabbing had not happened. NTR entered politics under special circumstances and established the Telugu Desam Party.”
Jagan recalled, “During my Padayatra, I said that I would name the district after NTR. We kept that word and named the district after NTR. Naidu gave the return gift of backstabbing NTR despite marrying his daughter, which he got as a gift from NTR in better times.”
“We have taken this well thought-out decision on the medical university’s name change bill that was introduced in the assembly today. I asked myself many times while making this decision, ‘Are we doing it right?’ We took the steps forward only after reassuring ourselves that it was right to honour and respect the services of YSR.”
The chief minister said, “Now, in YSR’s son’s government, we are building 17 more medical colleges. Twenty out of total 28 medical colleges were established either by YSR or his son’s YSR Congress Party government. It is thus fair to give credit to YSR for his services and everyone should think of this.”
