Telangana renames PSR Telugu University as Suravaram Pratapa Reddy university  

An inside view of the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University
| Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal

The Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University has been renamed after eminent freedom fighter and littérateur Suravaram Pratapa Reddy.

The Legislative Assembly on Monday passed a legislation amending the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University Act 1985 even as Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has announced that the Cherlpally railway terminal will be named after Potti Sreeramulu as mark of respect to his contributions in freedom struggle and his role in carving out of the Andhra State. In another important announcement, the Chief Minister said the nature cure hospital at Balkampet will be named after former Chief Minister of united AP K. Rosaiah and his statue will be erected on the premises.

“I want the BJP members to secure the Centre’s permission for naming the Cherlapally terminal after Potti Sreeramulu,” Mr. Revanth Reddy said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party however criticised the Government for changing the name of the veteran freedom fighter and demanded that the Government instead rename the Osmania University, the epicentre of Telangana agitation, as Suravaram Pratapa Reddy University. Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar earlier criticised the Government for its decision to rename the Telugu University.

In an oblique reference to Mr. Sanjay’s remarks, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said the university had been named after Suravaram Pratapa Reddy in remembrance of his contributions to Telangana. People were however trying to create apprehensions among the people on the Government’s decisions for political gains.

Renaming of the institutions in Telangana was not new, he said citing the changed names of Health University, Agriculture University and Horticulture University in the past. “Change in names does not mean belittling the personalities after whom these institutions have been named. It is being done for the identity of Telangana,” he said.

He took strong objections to Mr. Bandi Sanjay Kumar’s reference to caste citing the Mahila University that was named after freedom fighter Chakali Ilamma. “Being in a responsible position in the Union Government, one need not belittle the castes for political mileage out of the issue,” he said. He took a dig at the BJP members citing how the Sardar Patel Stadium in Gujarat was renamed as Narendra Modi Stadium claiming his Government would not indulge in such mistakes.

The Chief Minister explained that the change in names was made as a university with a similar name was functioning in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. “Existence of universities with same names in two States can give scope for administrative issues and hence, it has been renamed,” he said.

Meanwhile, the MIM members took strong objections to the BJP’s demand for renaming Osmania University. MIM member Ahmed Bin Abdullah Balala said the university was named after Mir Osman Ali Khan who was the first Raj Pramukh (Governor) of Hyderabad State which was merged into the Indian Union. “It is shameful that members seek change of university’s name,” he said.