Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Y S Sharmila on Tuesday found fault with the renaming of YSR district as YSR Kadapa district and removal of YSR’s name from Tadigadapa municipality in Krishna district.
Speaking to reporters, Sharmila said just out of vengeance towards YSR Congress party president and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, Telugu Desam Party president and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu was reverting whatever decisions Jagan had taken.
“It appears the TDP-led coalition is targeting the legacy of late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, the former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. Just because Jagan had removed N T Rama Rao’s name from some institutions, Naidu is now trying to erase the identity of YSR,” she alleged.
Sharmila said the change of YSR district as YSR Kadapa district was unnecessary.
“Okay, the Naidu government has not removed YSR’s name from the district. But why didn’t he follow the same rule in case of NTR district?” she asked.
She said Naidu should have followed the same logic by renaming NTR district as NTR Vijayawada district or rename Krishna district as NTR Krishna district.
“Is it not a selective approach?” she asked.
Sharmila also sought to know why the Naidu government removed YSR’s name from YSR Tadigadapa municipality in Krishna district.
“YSR was a towering leader who introduced landmark welfare schemes. He is a revered figure among the Telugu people, with many households placing his portrait alongside deities,” she said.
She said politicizing YSR’s name is disrespectful to his legacy.
"YSR’s name belongs to the people, not to any single party," Sharmila added.