Synopsis
On March 17, the Telangana Assembly approved a bill to rename Potti Sriramulu Telugu University as Suravaram Pratap Reddy Telugu University. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy defended this change and proposed honoring Potti Sriramulu by renaming the Cherlapally Railway Terminal after him.Key Takeaways
- The Telangana Assembly renamed Potti Sriramulu Telugu University.
- Chief Minister defended the decision and proposed naming a railway terminal after Sriramulu.
- The change honors Suravaram Pratap Reddy, a significant freedom fighter.
- Opposition from BJP regarding the renaming was addressed by the Chief Minister.
- The government continues honoring historical figures through name changes.
Hyderabad, March 17 (NationPress) - The Telangana Assembly passed legislation on Monday to change the name of Potti Sriramulu Telugu University to Suravaram Pratap Reddy Telugu University. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy defended this decision and suggested that the Cherlapally Railway Terminal be named after Potti Sriramulu.
In his address to the Assembly after the bill was introduced, the Chief Minister made it clear that renaming the university does not imply any disrespect to Sriramulu, a notable figure from Andhra Pradesh.
He noted that since the establishment of Telangana in 2014, numerous universities and institutions named after significant personalities from Andhra have been renamed, continuing a long-standing practice.
Potti Sriramulu passed away after a prolonged 58-day hunger strike in 1952, advocating for a separate state for Telugu-speaking individuals, which ultimately led to the creation of Andhra state in 1953.
After the linguistic reorganization of states, Andhra was merged with the former Hyderabad state to create Andhra Pradesh in 1956. Telangana was separated from Andhra Pradesh to form its own state in 2014.
In response to opposition from the BJP regarding the name change of the Telugu University, the Chief Minister emphasized that the sacrifices made by Potti Sriramulu are not being undervalued.
Revanth Reddy elaborated that the government made strategic decisions to honor prominent figures by naming universities and institutions after them, recognizing their contributions to the formation of Telangana.
He accused certain political factions of attempting to mislead the public, expressing disappointment that some leaders are associating these name changes with caste issues.
The Chief Minister referenced the renaming of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Cricket Stadium to the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Gujarat, contrasting it with the decisions made by the Telangana government.
Following the establishment of Telangana, the NTR Health University was rebranded as the Kaloji Narayan Rao Health University. He reiterated that this does not reflect a lack of respect for NTR. In a similar vein, the Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University was renamed for Professor Jayashankar, while the YSR Horticulture University became the Konda Laxman Bapuji Horticulture University, and Venkateswara University was designated after former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. In keeping with this tradition, the government has now renamed Potti Sriramulu Telugu University to honor Suravaram Pratap Reddy.
Revanth Reddy emphasized that Suravaram Pratap Reddy was a prominent freedom fighter in Telangana. "His contributions to the society of Telangana are immeasurable. He stood against the Nizam and launched the 'Golconda' newspaper," he stated.
He also proposed that the newly constructed Cherlapally Railway Terminal be named after Sriramulu and urged Union ministers Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay to demonstrate their commitment by obtaining approval from the central government.
The Chief Minister reaffirmed the government's complete respect for former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah and the Arya Vysya community, announcing plans to rename the Balkampet Nature Cure Hospital in Rosaiah's honor.
Earlier, BJP leader A. Maheshwar Reddy criticized the decision to rename the Telugu University, questioning the rationale behind removing Potti Sriramulu's name. He further suggested renaming Osmania University to Suravaram University.
