Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.
Credit: PTI Photo
Hyderabad: With decisions to change characters that represent Telangana from TS to TG in official correspondence, to tweaking the state emblem and the Telangana Thalli statue, the Revanth Reddy government is ushering in several changes to leave an indelible mark in the history of India’s youngest state.
Such decisions are also being viewed as an attempt by the current Congress government to erase the legacy of BRS and K Chandrashekar Rao who is credited for the statehood for Telangana after a prolonged struggle.
The state cabinet on Sunday had decided to change TS to TG in vehicle registrations and official correspondence, make changes to Telangana Talli statue and the government emblem. The Cabinet also approved the popular song ‘Jaya Jaye He Telangana’, written by poet Ande Sri, as the state’s official song.
Both Telangana Thalli statue and state emblem were designed by the previous BRS government. Briefing the media after the cabinet meeting on Sunday night, state industries minister Duddila Sridhar Babu said that the previous government went against the gazette issued by the Centre during the state bifurcation that specified TG for number plates.
He added but the then TRS government changed TG to TS without following due procedure to make it appear like their party name.
Sources in the government pointed out that the present Telangana Thalli statue depicts the ruling class and the Revanth Reddy government wants to make changes after consultation with stakeholders and experts to showcase the ‘real’ identity of a common Telangana woman.
Revanth Reddy said that connotations of royalty should be erased from the state emblem and accordingly a new emblem will be designed. Government will soon announce the date to implement the changes to come into force from TS to TG.
“Such changes are actually inconsequential other than to create one’s own brand image or identify while erasing the other brand. Governance and government is a continuous process and such changes whenever a new party takes over should be avoided. Rather governments should focus on other important and critical issues,” political analyst and senior journalist Telakapalli Ravi told DH.
KCR had shown personal interest in designing Telangana Thalli statue after the state bifurcation in the place of Telugu Thalli statue of combined Andhra Pradesh.