Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday defended the renaming of Potti Sriramulu Telugu University as Suravaram Pratap Reddy Telugu University, stating that the change was necessary to avoid duplication.
Addressing the Assembly after introducing the bill to rename the university, Revanth Reddy expressed surprise at the objections raised by some groups.
He accused certain political forces of spreading misconceptions and misleading the public.
"It is not appropriate for leaders in responsible positions to create confusion," he said.
“I wonder whether politics has become polluted or if political leaders are to blame. No one is undermining the sacrifices and contributions of Potti Sriramulu. His sacrifices should be recognized and remembered by all,” he asserted.
The Chief Minister clarified that the renaming was a policy decision made as part of administrative reforms.
“The government has been honoring eminent personalities who contributed to Telangana’s development. This process has been ongoing for the past ten years since the formation of the state,” he added.
He cited previous instances where institutions were renamed, such as NTR Health University being renamed after Kaloji Narayana Rao, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University after Professor K Jayashankar, and YSR Horticulture University after Konda Laxman Bapuji.
Similarly, Venkateswara Veterinary University was named after former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao.
“Following this tradition, we have now renamed Potti Sriramulu Telugu University after Suravaram Pratap Reddy. Several universities in Telangana had retained names from Andhra Pradesh, and we are rectifying this,” he explained.
Revanth Reddy emphasized that having two universities with the same name in different states could lead to administrative confusion.
“This is why we are renaming institutions in Telangana. It is not an act of disrespect toward any individual,” he clarified.
He criticized political leaders for attributing caste motives to government decisions for their own political gains.
“Dividing society along caste and religious lines for political benefit is highly condemnable,” he stated.
Referring to the renaming of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Cricket Stadium in Gujarat after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he remarked, “We have not made such mistakes. If leaders like Union Ministers Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay are sincere, let them prove their commitment by securing approval from the Centre to name the Cherlapally Railway Terminal after Potti Sriramulu,” he suggested.