Hyderabad: India’s newly elected Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu has called for developing an India free of hunger, poverty and corruption.
After receiving congratulations from the government of Telangana at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad, Venkaiah Naidu went down memory lane and recalled his close emotional bond with Telangana and Hyderabad.
“I deeply love Telangana and Hyderabad as politically I was born, brought up and nourished here”, he said.
After Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao congratulated him in the presence of governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, union minister of state Bandaru Dattatreya and a host of other dignitaries, Venakaiah Naidu spoke on a wide range of subjects including issues arising out of the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and the promotion of the Telugu language.
Naidu said he was very happy his journey as vice-president of India was beginning from the same city where his political journey had begun.
Terming Hyderabad a “Mini India”, he said the city was home to varied religious faiths, communities and the people.
“Telangana is North of South and South of North”, he said underlining its significance. Venkaiah Naidu said that Hyderabad was the brand of Telangana.
Stressing the special place Hyderabad had in his heart, Venkaiah said, “Hyderabadi Biryani and Haleem have earned special fame in the world. Similarly Hyderabad has earned a special place on the global development map”.
“Andhra Pradesh as not bifurcated because of any anger against anybody but it was divided to fulfil the aspiration that every region should be developed by its own people”, he said.
He said tat the purpose of bifurcation of the state will be achieved only when the fruits of development reach the last man in the queue.
He urged the Chief Ministers of both the Telugu states Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to work together for the development and sit and discuss to resolve the differences.
Venkaiah Naidu said that while serving in a constitutional position he would continue to help the two Telugu states. “The Chief Ministers of the two states should cooperate and compete with each other in development”, he said.
On Telugu language he said, “I am not anti-English but I want to see Telugu was used in the administration”. He urged the Chief Ministers to replace English with Telugu as the language of administration. “Telugu has grammar as well as glamour”, he added.
“Those who forget their mother, mother tongue and mother land are not human”, he said.
Venkaiah Naidu and Chief Minister, both powerful orators, patted each other on their command over Telugu language and oratory.
“After hearing the speech of KCR my hunger was satisfied”, Naidu said.
Expressing happiness over Venkaiah Naidu assuming the constitutional post of Vice President of the country, KCR said, “it is a matter of great pride for all the Telugus”.
He recalled how Venkaiah Naidu rose from grass root levels to the national level through grit and hard work. “going up inch by inch to the highest political levels is not easy”, he said while praising Venkaiah.
KCR said there were very few people like Venkaiah Naidu who bring honour to the posts they occupy. “Even while rising to the national level he did not forget his roots”, he said.
“Telugus were recognised at the national level only after NTR came into politics, Earlier all the Telugus were known as Madrasis”, he recalled.
“All the people see Venkaiah Naidu with respect he is a great orator and he reached this position with hard work.
Not only in Telugu but he also speaks with great felicity in English and Hindi and many other languages”.
Senior state BJP leader Union Minister of state Bandaru Dattatriya said that Venkaiah Naidu had dedicated himself to work for the society. “As Urban development minster he strived for housing for everybody. His becoming vice president was the matter of pride for all Telugus. He is a man of extraordinary skills and talents”.
State governor ESL Narasimhan said, “Venkaiah Naidu is one among us. He had said that he will remain Ushapati and not become Upa Rashtrapati has now become Ushapati as well as Upa Rashtrapati”, he said referring to the fact that he was husband of Mrs Usha.
