Hyderabad, Sep 2 (IANS) AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday paid rich tributes to former Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), saying he gave his whole life to the Congress Party and to the poor of his state.
He said YSR believed that the purpose of government was to give ordinary people dignity, security and opportunity.
“Then when he got power, he did not forget what he strove for. He brought healthcare within the reach of poor families through Aarogyasri, built homes for poor families through Indiramma Indlu, worked to give land to the landless, and gave free electricity to farmers while ensuring that farm loan relief reached thousands of families,” said Kharge.
The Congress chief was speaking at the Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Award 2026 programme in New Delhi.
The award was presented to M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation.
“17 years ago, on this very day, we lost Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, a man who gave his whole life to the Congress Party and to the poor of his state. So, there could be no better way to pay tribute to him than to honour, in his memory, an institution that shares his deepest belief that no farmer and no poor family should be left behind or deprived of their basic needs,” said Kharge.
The AICC President also paid tribute to Dr M. S. Swaminathan. He said Dr Swaminathan transformed Indian agriculture, but his vision went way beyond producing more food.
“I had the privilege of knowing Dr Swaminathan personally for many years. I first came to know him when I was a minister in Karnataka. We invited him to speak to students and faculty as a chief guest for programmes at the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bangalore. I had the opportunity to interact with him on several occasions. I knew him as a great scientist, and later as a nominated Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha (2007 to 2013), but what stayed with me was his commitment to science and his belief that scientific knowledge must ultimately improve the lives of ordinary people,” said Kharge.
Addressing the award ceremony, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said there was an urgent need to make Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Minister of India.
The Chief Minister asserted that Rahul Gandhi’s leadership is a historical necessity for the country in the difficult and challenging times.
Revanth Reddy remembered YSR’s leadership qualities and recalled his final wish of making Rahul Gandhi as the PM. After taking the oath of office as CM for the second time, YSR announced that his life’s goal was to see Rahul Gandhi become the Prime Minister. However, he passed away before that wish could be realised.
CM Revanth Reddy said that the people of the country were facing hardships and a leader must stand by them during such times. The country needs a leader to stand by the people at this historic juncture and Rahul Gandhi is the strong leader.
“Making Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister is a tribute to YSR. To fulfil his final wish, we must ensure Rahul Gandhi becomes the Prime Minister in the upcoming elections,” the Chief Minister. He called for working together under the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge to make Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister.
Stressing the need to take forward YSR’s vision, the CM said that YSR deserved the credit for launching projects like Pranahita-Chevella, Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation, and the SLBC tunnel to provide irrigation water in Telangana. Now, these projects are stalled. We will complete the projects and dedicate them to the people of Telangana, the CM announced.
CM Revanth Reddy also recalled the services rendered by the country’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who accorded top priority to education and irrigation sectors. The nation transformed from a state of hunger and distress to becoming a food exporter under Nehru’s leadership. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had taken measures to provide Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers’ produce for the first time in the country. Sonia Gandhi introduced the Food Security Act to ensure food security for every citizen in the country. Former PM Indira Gandhi also introduced agricultural reforms, distributing assigned lands to the poor.
It was when the Congress party launched the Public Distribution System (PDS), supplying essential commodities through ration shops. The Chief Minister said 3.48 crore people in Telangana were getting fine quality rice.
–IANS
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