Blood donation camps and rallies organised by the Telugu Desam Party and NTR Trust marked the 21st death anniversary of TDP founder and former Chief Minister late N.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s wife Nara Bhuvaneswari and his daughter-in-law Nara Brahmani inaugurated the ‘legendary blood donation camp’ at the NTR Trust Bhavan. Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Brahmani said 185 blood donation camps had been organised across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for collecting 20,000 units of blood to mark the occasion. The Trust could collect 14,000 units of blood through 145 camps last year.
TDP Telangana State unit president L. Ramana recalled the contribution of NTR in abolishing the Patel-Patwari system. TDP-TS working president A. Revanth Reddy urged the Central Government to confer Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of the country, on NTR for his contribution to the uplift of poor and needy sections and for his efforts to install non-Congress governments at the Centre.
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Meanwhile, TDP Hindupur MLA and film star Nandamuri Balakrishna has launched NTR Amar Jyoti rally at Rasoolpura to commemorate the occasion. He visited the Indo-American Cancer Hospital and Research Centre and distributed fruits to the patients undergoing treatment there. He said NTR left an indelible mark on the film industry as well as the political scene. NTR was reputed across the globe for his untiring efforts to spread the message of Telugu self respect and pride, he said adding the TDP would mount pressure on the Central Government if need be to confer Bharat Ratna on the film star-turned-politician.