New Delhi, May 12: A proposal to install a statue of former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao in New Delhi has received a crucial approval, pending final clearance from the Centre before its installation at Telangana Bhavan, said sources.
Although the bureaucratic green signal is still awaited, officials from Telangana Bhavan and the NDMC stated that the proposal did not originate from their offices. A Telangana Bhavan official mentioned that the Revanth Reddy-led state government is planning a new dedicated Bhavan for Telangana on Ashoka Road, making the statue installation premature. The Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) approved the proposal on March 27, forwarded by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).
Alongside the approval, the DUAC suggested repairing broken pavements around the site and installing appropriate lighting to enhance visibility at night, sources said. Since its formation in 2014, Telangana has been sharing its Bhavan premises with Andhra Pradesh.
The official emphasised that proceeding with a statue installation at this stage may not be appropriate. The proposal reportedly came from the P.V. Narasimha Rao Memorial Foundation, which requested permission in April 2024 to install a bronze statue of Rao next to that of Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu, Andhra Pradesh’s first Chief Minister.
The final decision regarding the statue’s location — inside or outside Telangana Bhavan — and the timeline will depend on political approval. If the Centre grants permission, this would be the third honour given to Rao by the BJP-led NDA government. In 2015, the government approved a memorial for him at Ekta Sthal in the Rajghat Complex.
In February 2024, Rao was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour. Rao is not the only Congress leader recognised by the BJP-led Centre. In January, the government approved memorials for former President Pranab Mukherjee and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Rashtriya Smriti complex near Rajghat.
During his tenure as Prime Minister from 1991 to 1996, Rao played a pivotal role in economic liberalisation and witnessed the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992. His relationship with Sonia Gandhi remained strained, and after his death in 2004, his body was notably absent from the Congress party headquarters. Following the Bharat Ratna announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Rao as a distinguished scholar and statesman.
IANS