Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday said that the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour, should be conferred on former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao.
Stating that Narasimha Rao changed the country's destiny for better and deserves the award, he said the state cabinet and state legislature will pass a resolution in this regard.
The CM said he would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make the request. KCR recently decided to organise the centenary celebrations of Narasimha Rao on a grand scale.
On Tuesday, he unveiled the plans for the celebrations.
"PV was a leader that the country should be proud of. He had changed the country's destiny for the better. PV is completely eligible to get the Bharat Ratna. I will personally meet Modi and request him to confer Bharat Ratna on PV," an official release quoted the chief minister as saying.
On June 28, the birth anniversary of Narasimha Rao, the main programme would be organised at PV Gnana Bhoomi (the samadhi of the former Prime Minister) in Hyderabad, while it would also be held at 50 locations worldwide around the same time, the release said.
The Chief Minister held a meeting with ministers, officials, Narasimha Rao centenary celebrations committee chairman and TRS MP K Keshav Rao and Narasimha Rao's son Prabhakar Rao and daughter Vani Devi.
"PV has a history for which every Telanganite can proudly say PV is Telangana's pride. Organise a wide range of programmes for one year on PVs greatness; his services should be known worldwide," the Chief Minister said.
Suggesting organising programmes at the national level to make people in the country understand the greatness of Narasimha Rao, the Chief Minister said President Ram Nath Kovind and Modi should be invited for the celebrations.
Stating that the economic reforms steered by Narasimha Rao have changed the country for the better, the Chief Minister said a special souvenir should be published with articles written by eminent economists on what the economic situation was in the country before Narasimha Rao and after he became the Prime Minister.
Recalling that Narasimha Rao had a good relationship with former US President Bill Clinton and former British Prime Minister John Major and other world leaders, the Chief Minister suggested obtaining their opinions too and, if possible, making them participate in the celebrations.
He suggested putting up hoardings at key places in Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru and 100 hoardings in Hyderabad to make the entire country realise the greatness of Narasimha Rao.
He directed that a PV Memorial Award be given to those who have made outstanding contributions in the fields of education, literature, politics and others.
Among other directives, the Chief Minister also instructed that special programmes be organised once educational institutions in the state resume and students made to participate in them.