'Telangana Thalli' statue design represents state's cultural ethos: CM Revanth Reddy

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday said the newly designed 'Telangana Thalli' (Mother Telangana) portrait represents the state's cultural ethos and motherhood.

In a veiled attack on the previous BRS regime, Reddy said it is a deficiency that the design and portrait of 'Telangana Thalli' was not officially announced during the last 10 years.

Making a statement in the Assembly on the installation of 'Telangana Thalli' statue in Secretariat premises on Monday evening, he said the government consulted Telangana agitation protagonists, poets, artists on finalising the image and portrait.

According to the CM, intellectuals and Telangana protagonists favoured the image of a mother. The image finalised by the government represents the state's culture and traditions.

In a veiled reference to BRS' opposition to the change in the portrait of Mother Telangana, he said it is not correct to believe that the idea of one person, party or a family is that of entire Telangana.

Inviting all political parties and people to attend the statue installation event, Reddy suggested that there should be no politics and controversies over the occasion.

The government has invited Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi.

The CM also announced that his government would annually celebrate December 9 as the day of 'Telangana Thalli' coming into existence.

He stressed that December 9 held immense significance for Telangana people as former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in 2009 had announced initiating the process of Telangana state formation.

Reddy said the greetings and gratitude of Telangana people should reach Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on the occasion of her birthday on Monday.

The foundation stone for realising the six decades-long aspiration of Telangana people for their own state was laid on December 9, he said.

BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday alleged that the Congress government has changed the design and portrait of 'Telangana Thalli' (Mother Telangana) out of "vendetta" towards him.

The design and portrait finalised by the government is different from the one made by the BRS during the Telangana statehood agitation.