Yarlagadda Quits As Chairman Of AP Official Language Commission

Andhra Pradesh Official Language Commission chairman Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad resigned from his post today protesting the decision of the State government to change the name of NTR Health University to YSR Health University.

Speaking on the issue, Prasad termed the decision of the State government as completely wrong. He said that he would have had no objection if the government had decided to name any other institution after YSR, but that he was pained at its decision to remove NTR from the name of a university, and demanded that the government withdraw its decision immediately.

He also reminded the State government that the then chief minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy had named the Telugu Ganga project after late NTR, and that he (Prasad) had liked YSR for that reason.

Commenting on his displeasure towards TDP national president and former chief minister Chandra Babu Naidu, Prasad said that Naidu was moving away from the basic ideals of the TDP. Stating that the TDP was born as an alternative to the Congress, he criticised Naidu for allegedly forming an alliance with the same Congress. Also stating that NTR did not bring his family members into politics, he said that Naidu had brought his son into politics.

He also claimed that Naidu had opposed the decision of the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to confer the Bharat Ratna on NTR.

However, he pointed out that it was he who had openly stated that Naidu had the capacity to run the TDP after the infamous Hotel Viceroy incident, and that he was still reiterating that.

Meanwhile, the TDP MLAs created a pandemonium in the State Assembly against the decision of the State government to change the name of the Health University. They raised slogans against the State government, and demanded that it withdraw its decision.

TDP activists also held protests against the decision across the entire State. Some ruling party leaders too expressed their displeasure over the decision of the government.