Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday urged the Union government to confer the Bharat Ratna on the late former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, asserting that the economist-statesman had a pivotal role in the creation of Telangana and merited the nation’s highest civilian honour.
Statue unveiled at Wipro Circle in Financial District
The Chief Minister unveiled Manmohan Singh’s statue at Wipro Circle in Hyderabad’s Financial District on what was described as the former prime minister’s birth anniversary. Revanth Reddy said the tribute would help carry Singh’s legacy to future generations and highlighted the leader’s contribution to the state’s formation.
Revanth Reddy criticised the Union government for not taking steps to create a memorial for Manmohan Singh in New Delhi and said that decisions on such recognitions should transcend political considerations. He also urged the establishment of a ‘knowledge centre’ in Delhi dedicated to the former prime minister.
“We also displayed the signature Manmohan Singh affixed to the order creating the state of Telangana here today. We unveiled the former PM's statue with the resolve to pass on his inspiration to future generations.”
The Chief Minister instructed Congress MPs to raise the matter of conferring the Bharat Ratna on Manmohan Singh in Parliament, pressing the point that the former prime minister had upheld the self-respect of the people of Telangana by facilitating the formation of the state when he was in office.
Revanth Reddy cites national reforms and local symbolism
At the event, Revanth Reddy recalled Manmohan Singh’s role in national economic reform and several landmark policies during his decade as Prime Minister under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) governments from May 2004 to May 2014, saying those measures contributed to the social and economic development of the country.
He emphasised the appropriateness of placing the statue in Hyderabad’s economic hub, noting that many institutions in the Financial District contribute to the Indian economy by providing services and that the site serves as a “rich tribute” to Singh’s work.
- Revanth Reddy demanded Bharat Ratna for Manmohan Singh.
- He called for a memorial in New Delhi and a dedicated knowledge centre.
- The statue was unveiled at Wipro Circle in Hyderabad’s Financial District.
Background note
Manmohan Singh served as India’s Prime Minister for two consecutive terms from May 2004 to May 2014. During that period, the government enacted several major initiatives and legislation which the Chief Minister cited as part of Singh’s national contribution. The former prime minister had earlier been conferred the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian award, in 1987.
| Item | Reference in event |
|---|---|
| Location of unveiling | Wipro Circle, Hyderabad Financial District |
| Requests to Centre | Bharat Ratna, memorial in Delhi, knowledge centre in Delhi |
| Statute displayed | Signature affixed to order creating Telangana |
By linking the tribute to both national policy achievements and the specific historic moment of Telangana’s creation, the Chief Minister positioned the ceremony as both a local commemoration and a call for national recognition. He urged elected Congress members from the state to press the demand in Parliament.
The demand for the Bharat Ratna and the call for a Delhi memorial make a political appeal to the Centre to formalise an iconography of the late leader that, according to the Chief Minister, recognises his contribution to the federal reorganisation that produced Telangana. The unveiling in the Financial District paired that appeal with symbolic placement in the city’s economic quarter.
As the matter moves into the parliamentary arena at the behest of the state leadership, it will require action by the Union government. The Chief Minister’s statements framed the push as transcending partisan politics and rooted in historical contribution, while recommending institutional commemoration in the national capital.
Reporting from Hyderabad.
