By IANS
Hyderabad : The Bharat Ratna controversy took yet another turn with Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development D. Purandareswari demanding Friday that the nation’s highest civilian honour be conferred on her father, former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N.T. Rama Rao.
Purandareswari made the demand on the occasion of her father’s 12th death anniversary.
Paying her respects to N.T. Rama Rao, a hugely popular Telugu actor, she told newspersons that she had already sent a letter in this regard to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Garlanding the statue of her father in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam, she said that NTR, as the actor was popularly known among his millions of fans, deserved the award for his contributions to the film industry and later his services to the people.
NTR’s daughter joined the Congress party before the 2004 elections. She was elected to the Lok Sabha and became a minister in the Congress-led coalition. Her husband D. Venkateswara Rao also is a Congress leader and member of the Andhra Pradesh assembly.
Rich tributes were paid across the state to NTR, who had created a record of sorts by coming to power within nine months after forming the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1982. Formed on the slogan of self-respect of Telugu people, the TDP ended the virtual monopoly of the Congress party in state politics.
The thespian, who acted in more than 250 films and was worshipped by many in the villages, became hugely popular with his policies like Rs.2 a kg rice and total prohibition.
NTR returned to power in 1994 with a landslide victory, but was unseated by his son-in-law N. Chandrababu Naidu in August 1995. The TDP founder, who had accused Naidu of backstabbing him, died of cardiac arrest in January 1996.
On Friday, Naidu and NTR’s other family members paid tributes to the leader at NTR Ghat on the banks of Hussainsagar Lake here. Naidu, who heads the TDP, was accompanied by his wife Bhuwaneswari when he went to offer floral tributes at NTR Ghat. “NTR will forever remain in the hearts of the poor,” said Naidu, recalling his services to people, especially the backward classes.
NTR’s second wife Lakshmi Parvati, who went into political oblivion after his death, also offered tributes to the late leader.
NTR’s sons, including actors Balakrishna and Harikrishna, and grandson and popular actor Junior NTR also paid tributes at NTR Ghat. A prayer meeting was held on the occasion.
Eminent Telugu film actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao paid rich tributes to NTR and said his contributions to the film industry would always be remembered.