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Published Mar 20, 2025 | 6:18 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 20, 2025 | 6:18 PM
Bandi Sanjay and Revanth Reddy. (X)
Synopsis: The BJP is targeting Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for renaming the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University. While Revanth Reddy says the move was for the sake of convenience and to avoid confusion, the BJP sees a caste angle in it. However, the question remains: What’s in a name?
A war of words is on between the BJP and the ruling Congress in Telangana over the renaming of a university.
It all began with the Telangana Assembly, on 17 March, passing a Bill renaming the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University after freedom fighter Suravaram Pratap Reddy.
Ever since the proposal was made, the BJP was after Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. The party alleged that Revanth Reddy initiated renaming the university since the freedom fighter, who hailed from the erstwhile Mahabubnagar district, belonged to the Reddy community.
A few days ahead of the introduction of the Bill in the Assembly, BJP leader and Union Minister of State Bandi Sanjay Kumar trained guns at Revanth Reddy. He said renaming the university after Suravaram Pratap Reddy was showing disrespect to Potti Sreeramulu, who he described as a great patriot and freedom fighter.
Sanjay wanted to fix Revanth Reddy and exact political benefit by finding fault with him for changing the name of Potti Sreeramulu University. Though he may not have had anything against Suravaram Pratap Reddy, he opposed the university being named after him as it was proposed by Revanth Reddy, who also belongs to the same Reddy caste.
Pratapa Reddy (1896–1953) was a social historian and freedom fighter from the then Hyderabad state. He is known as “Telangana Vythalikudu” (Torchbearer). He was born in Borelli in Gadwal district in the present state of Telangana.
Aware of the underlying message of Sanjay Kumar’s demand that the university’s name should not be changed, Revanth Reddy hit back. Turning the tables on the BJP leader, the chief minister said that he also holds Sreeramulu in high esteem and suggested naming the new railway terminal at Charlapalli after him.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the new terminal, renovated at a cost of ₹413 crore, 6 January.
Move to rename railway terminal
Revanth Reddy, speaking on the issue in the Assembly, said he was surprised to see politics being polluted since there was opposition to renaming the university after Suravaram Pratap Reddy.
He said no one underestimated the sacrifices of Potti Sreeramulu. The chief minister said the decision to rename the university after Pratap Reddy was taken for administrative convenience and as part of honoring those who had contributed to the formation of Telangana state.
He recalled the renaming of NTR University of Health Sciences after Kaloji Narayana Rao, which did not mean that the state showed disrespect to NTR. Similarly, Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University was named after Prof K Jayashankar and YSR Horticulture University after Konda Lakshman Bapuji.
He said there would be confusion in administration if there were two universities with the same name, and hence the decision.
Revanth Reddy also dashed off a letter to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw requesting that the Charlapalli Railway Terminal be named after Potti Sreeramulu.
In his letter, the chief minister recalled how Amarajeevi Potti Sreeramulu’s supreme sacrifice laid the basis for a linguistic reorganisation of the states. He said the Telangana government proposes to name the Charlapalli Railway Terminal after Potti Sriramulu. He said Sreeramulu’s legacy as a champion of Telugu identity and cultural pride continues to inspire generations.
Sriramulu is also renowned for his quest for social justice and advocacy for the downtrodden. He had led many campaigns for equal rights for all communities, and his fast unto death for Telugu pride remains an unparalleled selfless sacrifice.
Naming Charlapalli Terminal after Potti Sreeramulu would be a fitting tribute to him for his unparalleled dedication to the Telugu people, Revanth Reddy said.
By proposing Sriramulu’s name, Revanth Reddy has placed Sanjay Kumar in a piquant situation. Though Sreeramulu is a highly respected leader for dedicating his life to social reforms and for his active role in the Independence Movement, the fact remains that he was born in 1901 in Padamatapalli, which is now in Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh.
In 1931, after he had lost his wife and newborn child, he joined Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram and joined the freedom struggle.
Telangana BJP, like others, is apprehensive about saying or doing anything that is in favour of Andhra Pradesh. As the Telangana movement was mainly built by former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on anti-Andhra sentiment, even today, parties cringe from adopting anything Andhra or appreciating the contribution of any great leader from the state for fear of political backlash in the state.
The Telugu university was established on 2 December 1985 with its headquarters in Hyderabad through an Act of Legislation (Act No. 27 of 1985) by the State Legislature of the then-undivided Andhra Pradesh.
It was renamed Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University in 1998. It was founded with the broad objectives of serving the cause of the Telugu people, both within the state and outside.
The university became a central institution for teaching and facilitating research in language and literature, history and culture, fine arts and performing arts, religion, and philosophy of the Telugu-speaking people.
Even as the war of words continues, one cannot help but wonder about the Bard’s point, “What’s in a name?”
The answer soon followed: “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet!”
