Chiselling Out YSR

There’s now an all-out race in Andhra Pradesh to set up statues of the late Chief Minister Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy

Possibly taking a cue from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, there’s now an all-out race in Andhra Pradesh to set up statues of the late Chief Minister Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

In Hyderabad alone, there are at least 60 being planned on street corners, important junctions, rail­way station entranc­es, bus stands, gardens and other public places. Besides these, block-level Congressmen are taking up every available spot for their tribute to YSR to the utter alarm of the civic authorities.

Three YSR statues sprung up last weekend alone and many more are nearing completion, even as the municipality laments that they are all illegal. Officials fear that the cityscape could soon be dotted with such figurines as they are unable to prevent their erection.

Adding to the confusion is D Nagendar, the state’s health min­ister and Greater Hyderabad Congress Committee pres­ident, who has announced that 30 statues of YSR would come up in the twin cit­ies of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. While all these bronze statues are ‘planned’ and are in the midst of landscap­ing, many of the ‘illegal’ stone and PoP ones are coming up ‘unplanned’ at street corners, as the local followers’ ode to a popular mass leader.