Various leaders in Telangana today paid rich floral tributes to former Deputy Prime Minister of India Babu Jagjivan Ram to mark the occasion of his 114 birth anniversary.
SC Welfare Minister Koppula Eshwar honoured Babu Jagjivan Ram by garlanding the beloved leader's statue at Basheerbagh, in the heart of Hyderabad. He also recalled the latter's service to the nation.
"Chief Minister K Chandrasekar Rao is emulating Jagjivan Ram and implementing many welfare schemes aimed at the uplift of the marginalised. The KCR regime has even earmarked Rs 1,000 crore specially for the Dalit Empowerment Program of Telangana in
this year's Budget. This will do much to help the Dalit community," he said.
The SC Minister further claimed that Telangana was the only state in India implementing a comprehensive set of welfare programs for Dalits, and was spending Rs 40,000 crore on the same.
At Mahabubnagar, Tourism Minister V Srinivas Goud too paid tributes to Jagjivan Ram by garlanding his statue.
He said, "Our government has followed in the footsteps of Babuji. We are noted for our commitment to the welfare of the Dalit community in the state. Our Budget is proof of this."
Meanwhile, in Warangal, Panchyat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao also remembered the leader, and recalled his services to the nation.
"Despite the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic that caused adverse economic issues, our government has continued to spend huge funds on Dalit welfare. We are following Jagjivan Ram's ideals for the uplift of the Dalits," he added.
Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan also garlanded a statue of Jagjivan Ram in Puducherry.
She termed him as a great leader of the country, and stated that he had worked relentlessly for the uplift of the downtrodden sections in the country throughout his life.
Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar also participated in a program to honour the leader.
Speaking on the occasion, he alleged that the ruling party had been doing politics only to earn money and secure personal gains. He asked the CM to change his ways at least now and usher in an era of welfare.
"The CM has not attended the birth anniversary celebrations of Babuji even once in the last seven years, and has been busy relaxing in his palatial farmhouse. How can he claim to be following in the leader's footsteps when he cannot even honour him? I would also like to ask KCR what has happened to the promised 125-feet-tall statue of B R Ambedkar that he had promised to install in the state," he fumed.