All-round growth of A.P. is true tribute to Potti Sriramulu, says Chandrababu Naidu

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said the true tribute to freedom fighter Potti Sriramulu would be the all-round development of the State, as he unveiled a 58-foot bronze statue of the leader in Amaravati on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary.

The statue, named as “Statue of Sacrifice,” has been installed at Sakhamuru Park as part of the Sri Potti Sriramulu Memorial Park project. The monument symbolically reflects Sriramulu’s historic 58-day fast unto death that led to the formation of Andhra State. Spread across 6.80 acres, the park’s first phase was completed in a record six months by the Amarajeevi Potti Sriramulu Memorial Trust.

The structure was built using 26 tonnes of bronze and 42 tonnes of iron framework, officials said. Plans for the second phase include the construction of a museum, auditorium and skill development centres.

Addressing the gathering after unveiling the statue, Mr. Naidu said Sriramulu was a symbol of inspiration for all communities and not confined to any single group. “There is the Statue of Liberty and the Statue of Unity and now Andhra Pradesh has the Statue of Sacrifice,” he said, adding that the Telugu people must remember Sriramulu’s sacrifice and work for the State’s progress.

He noted that Sriramulu’s sacrifice paved the way for linguistic States in India and recalled that the leader had also fought for social causes, including temple entry for Dalits.

Referring to the State’s political history, the Chief Minister said the Telugu people had overcome several challenges —from the days under the Madras Presidency to the formation of Andhra State with Kurnool as the capital, later Hyderabad for united Andhra Pradesh, and now Amaravati for the reorganised State.

Mr. Naidu also criticised the previous government for proposing a three-capital model and said Amaravati was now being developed as a people’s capital with the cooperation of farmers who had contributed land for the project.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, Union Minister of State for Rural Development Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Ministers Nara Lokesh, Kandula Durgesh, Nadendla Manohar, T. G. Bharath and S. Savitha, along with P. V. N. Madhav, president of the Bharatiya Janata Party Andhra Pradesh unit, and several public representatives attended the ceremony and paid floral tributes at the statue.

During the event, a commemorative postal cover on Potti Sriramulu was released, and members of the freedom fighter’s family were felicitated on the stage.