Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today unveiled a statue of former Union minister and late Congress leader G Venkatswamy fondly known as “Kaka” at Tank Bund’s Ambedkar Park here to mark his 86th birth anniversary.
The statue, which stands tall on the entrance near Arch leads to Secunderabad, resembles the style of Ambedkar with a waving right hand. Speaking on the occasion, KCR termed “Kaka” as “Political Bheeshma” and a towering personality like Mount Everest. KCR also praised that “Kaka” – a small man rose to become a leader and indeed has vast political career and abundant experience in politics and a true Telangana son, KCR stated. He also recalled the services rendered by Kaka for struggling all his life for the cause of the working class, uplift of Dalits and the poor.
Despite suffering a bullet wound in 1969 Telangana movement, “Kaka” moved forward for statehood fight, he said. “When I met him at a hospital, Kaka said he will die only after Telangana achieving statehood and it happened, he said. However, Prof. Jayasankar, who wanted to see Telangana becoming a separate State “died before we got our State, he bemoaned.
Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said “Kaka” fought for changes in Labour laws and introduced pension for working class people. He also strove for the cause of Dalits and workers, Dattatreya said and asked the youth to emulate his ideals. Dattatreya urged KCR to introduce Kaka’s life history in school curriculum.
Later the leaders unveiled “Mera Safar”, a biography of “Kaka” on the occasion. Speaker S. Madhusudana Chary, Venkatswamy’s sons G Vinod, MP, G Vivekananda, leaders K Keshav Rao, D Srinivas, ministers and other leaders were present. (NSS)