The late Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y S Rajasekhara Reddy is being immortalised by his admirers who are building temples, making films, installing statues and even getting tattooed.
In a manifestation of his huge popularity, which is drawing comparisons with legendary N T Rama Rao, hundreds of distraught fans of Reddy were claimed to have committed suicide in the aftermath of his death in a helicopter crash, though there was no official confirmation.
Soon after his death on September 2, the state government had announced that grand memorials would be built for YSR in Hyderabad and at the site in Nallamala where his chopper crashed.
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The government had also decided to rechristen Reddy’s native Kadapa district as YSR district, while his brother-in-law and Kadapa Mayor P Ravindranath Reddy said an important traff ic junction in the town would be named as YSR Circle.
School Education Minister D Manikya Vara Prasad announced that the Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan would be renamed as YSR Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan.
Meanwhile, efforts to built temples in the memory of YSR are underway at several places in the state.
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Tirupati, Vanamvari Kistapuram in Khammam district, Miriyala in Guntur district are some of the places where the YSR temples are coming up.
A die-hard supporter of Reddy and chairman of Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) Ch. Bhaskar Reddy has announced that he would build a grand temple in YSR’s name at the temple town of Tirupati.
Residents of Vanamari Kistapuram and Miriyala villages have already started building temples for their political hero who they hail as their benefactor.
Meanwhile, actor-couple Rajasekhar and Jeevitha, who had joined Congress ahead of the general elections, have announced their plan to make a full-length feature film on the life of Rajasekhara Reddy.
Noted Telugu director Puri Jagannath, who made the block-buster Pokiri (re-made in Hindi as ‘Wanted’ with Salman Khan in the lead), would direct the film on the former Chief Minister.
Shooting for a documentary on the life of Rajasekhara Reddy began yesterday at Chevella in Ranga Reddy, where the former CM had launched his famous Padayatra that catapulted him to power in the 2004 elections.