Amaravati, Mar 16 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday unveiled a 58-foot bronze statue of Potti Sriramulu, a freedom fighter, who had fasted unto death demanding to carve out a separate state from Madras for Telugu-speaking people.
Sriramulu’s indefinite fast lasted for 58 days, and he died on December 15, 1952. As a fallout of this fasting, a separate state, Andhra Pradesh, was carved out from the then Madras state for the Telugu-speaking people, which ultimately led to the creation of other linguistic states in India.
Andhra Pradesh was further bifurcated into Telangana and Andhra Pradesh decades later.
The chief minister unveiled the statue of Potti Sriramulu, who is revered as ‘Amarajeevi’ (immortal being), at Shakhamuru Park here on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary, on Monday.
The first phase of this project, carried out at Rs 150 crore, has been completed on a 6.8-acre plot, while the Potti Sriramulu Memorial Trust completed the construction of the 58-ft statue in six months.
A total of 26 tons of bronze and 42 tons of iron were used for the statue.
In the second phase, a museum, photo gallery, auditorium and a skill development centre will be constructed at the site, an official press release said.
This memorial complex will be developed to reflect the sacrifice of Sriramulu. PTI STH ADB
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