VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu promised to establish a Telugu university in the State and name it after Potti Sriramulu, the freedom fighter known for his pivotal role in the formation on Andhra Pradesh.
Speaking during a programme held at Tummalapalli Kalakshetram in Vijayawada on Sunday, commemorating the 72nd death anniversary of Potti Sriramulu, Naidu announced that the freedom fighter’s birth anniversary celebrations will be conducted on a grand note on March 16, 2025. Further, he said Sriramulu’s residence in Nellore district will be developed as a memorial and that another memorial will be established in Amaravati.
With the Telangana government mulling over renaming the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University in Hyderabad, Naidu said the government in Andhra Pradesh will construct a Telugu University here and name it after the freedom fighter. “Telugus always feel proud of Potti Sriramulu. For 58 days, he was on a dedicated hunger strike, ultimately sacrificing his life which set the stage for the creation of linguistic States in India, Naidu recalled.
Reiterating that continuous welfare and development is possible with a stable government, Naidu said he released the Swarna Andhra Vision 2047 document taking inspiration from personalities like Potti Sriramulu, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Mahatma Gandhi, NT Rama Rao and other leaders.
Stating that people must not forget the ‘bad governance’ under the previous YSRCP regime, he remarked, “There was a time in the State when people could not discuss anything freely. Even developmental works in Sriramulu’s native place were withdrawn by the previous government. Now, the same leaders are pretending to have affection towards the State.”
Crediting Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan with the successful conduct of Grama Sabhas, Naidu reiterated that the NDA government will always work for the welfare and development of the State with good governance.
3-capital plan a vendetta against Amaravati: CM
Accusing the previous regime of resorting to political vendetta against Amaravati by proposing the three-capital plan and destroying the multipurpose Polavaram Irrigation Project, Naidu stressed, “We have been striving hard for the past six months to take the State on the path to progress. My intention is to lay the foundation for best administration.”
Terming Potti Sriramulu as the leader of Andhra Pradesh, Pawan Kalyan said the freedom fighter was instrumental in the creation of States on linguistic basis. Exuding confidence that the State will achieve all round development, the actor-politician urged everyone to join hands and take the Swarna Andhra Vision-2047 document forward.
“Those who are criticising the vision document must remember that similar comments were made against the Vision 2020 document. However, the development in Hyderabad is clearly evident,” he remarked.
Earlier, Naidu and Pawan paid floral tributes to the portraits of Poti Sriramulu and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to mark their death anniversaries.