Andhra remembers Narasimha Rao on 90th birth anniversary

New Delhi,June 28 : Andhra Pradesh Monday remembered its native son and late prime minister P.V.Narasimha Rao on his 90th birth anniversary, with the state's Congress government paying"heartful homage to the humanitarian beyond compare". In an advertisement published in some of the leading dailies, the K. Rosaiah government described Rao, who ruled the country from June 21, 1991 to May 16, 1996, as "the father of Indian economic reforms" and "the dynamic leader who refused to be afraid". Rao was India's 10th prime minister. Rao had initiated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is an acclaimed economist, into politics by appointing him as his finance minister to steer the country's economic reforms. Meanwhile, no function was organised at the Congress headquarters here to commemorate the birth anniversary of Rao, who was also its president at one time. "I have no idea about any function," said a top party functionary. When asked whether any function was organised in parliament to commemorate the birth anniversary, a parliament official said there was no photograph or portrait of Rao, who died December 2004, to pay floral tributes. Meanwhile, Rosaiah paid floral tribute to Rao in Hyderabad. Speaking at P.V. Jnana Bhoomi in the city, the chief minister said Rao was the first Telugu to become the prime minister of the country. Some party workers and Congress legislators also paid tribute to Rao.
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