YSR Telangana Party leader Y S Sharmila has questioned the decision of her brother and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to rename the NTR University of Health Sciences after their late father, Y S Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR). She feels that the move amounts to insulting crores of fans of the late TDP founder and former Chief Minister N T Rama Rao.
Sharmila said her father was a great and popular leader and he did not need to change some institution's name which was already named after some other leader to elevate his status. "Today this institution has been renamed after YSR. Tomorrow, another government may change the name. Will this not amount to insulting YSR?" she asked.
Sharmila, who is currently conducting a padyatra in Vikarabad district, feels that YSR does not need somebody's fame. "No one enjoys the status which YSR had. When he passed away, 700 people died of shock," she said.
The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on September 21 passed a Bill to rename NTR University of Health Sciences as YSR University of Health Sciences. Ignoring the objections and protests of the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government went ahead with the legislation.
The Dr NTR University of Health Sciences (Amendment) Bill, 2022, was passed unanimously in the absences of TDP members, who were earlier suspended from the House by Speaker Tammineni Seetharam for stalling the proceedings in protest against the state government's move.
Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy defended the government's move to rechristen the university. He said YSR was not only a physician and politician but was also a great humanitarian who understood hardships of the poor and provided best healthcare facilities to them for free.
Set up in 1986, the Health University was named in 1998 after N T Rama Rao, who was popularly known as NTR. With the passing of the Bill, the university has now been renamed after Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.
The move triggered angry reactions from the TDP with the party president and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu vowing not to rest till the name of NTR is restored to the health university.