Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated a 216-feet statue — the Statue of Equality — commemorating 10th century Vedic philosopher and social reformer Ramanujacharya, on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The statue, he said, “puts our nation at the forefront as a firm believer in equality, having one of the most diverse populations globally…”
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao skipped the event; he did not receive Modi at the airport either earlier in the day, with the state BJP slamming him. The CM’s office said he was unwell and resting. The PM was received by Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Union Minister for Tourism G Kishan Reddy and Telangana Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav among others.
Speaking at the function in the evening, Modi likened his government’s schemes such as providing free gas cylinders, free electricity connections, Jan Dhan accounts, and other schemes to the marginalised communities with Ramanujacharya’s philosophy. He said the Centre’s schemes cover all people, irrespective of their caste and religion.
Earlier in the day, Modi toured the complex housing Ramanujacharya’s statue. Born in 1017 in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, Ramanujacharya advocated social equality among all sections. The inauguration of the Statue of Equality is part of the ongoing 12-day Ramanuja Sahasrabdi ‘Samaroham’ to mark the 1,000th birth anniversary of Ramanujacharya, which began February 2.
