Telangana to invite Bill Clinton, Barack Obama for PV meet

HYDERABAD: Telangana government has decided to invite former US presidents — Bill Clinton and Barack Obama— and former British prime minister John Major for a programme to be organised in honour of former PM PV Narasimha Rao in Delhi.
“The government is planning to organise a meeting at Vignan Bhavan in next one or two months once Covid-19 situation subsides in Delhi. The invitation will be extended to the former US presidents and Major through the Indian embassy and high commission and also Telugu associations,” K Keshava Rao, chairman of PV centenary celebrations committee, told STOI.
Keshava Rao recalled that Rao as prime minister and external affairs minister had good relations with his then counterparts.
He said the government is also planning to install statues of Rao in the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The government has decided to rope in TRS party units abroad to organise events in honour of Rao in various counties.
The government is also planning to install Rao’s statues in West Bengal, Odisha, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, AP and Maharashtra (Mumbai). First such statue would be unveiled in Rao’s native Laknepally village in Narsampet mandal soon.
“We will ask the Centre to install Rao’s statue at a prime location in Delhi along with naming a street after the former PM. The state government will install his statue in Telangana Bhavan in Delhi on its own,” Keshava Rao said. He recalled that Rao had contested from Odisha, Ramtek in Maharashtra and Nandyal in AP for Lok Sabha.
The government had decided to organise Rao’s birth centenary celebrations from June 28 for one year. It was also decided to hold at least one programme every month in the former PM’s honour. A seminar or meeting will be held in Hyderabad inviting President Ram Nath Kovind and former president Pranab Mukherjee and former PM Manmohan Singh.
It was decided to send the assembly resolution seeking Bharat Ratna for Rao and also for installing a portrait of Rao in the assembly to the Centre.