The committee planning to install a statue of former Chief Minister and actor NT Rama Rao (NTR) in Lakaram tank bund in Khammam has made changes to the statue after objections were raised by some groups. The High Court had stayed the installation of the statue, but the committee plans to unveil it on May 28 as scheduled by Junior NTR. Some NRIs and the Minister for Transport had donated money for the statue, which was constructed in East Godavari district at a cost of Rs 4 crore. Sri Adhibhatla Sri Kalapeetam, Sri Krishna Jack and others had raised objections that NTR attired as Lord Sri Krishna would hurt their religious sentiments. The High Court stayed the installation of the statue till further orders.
The committee coordinator, Dodda Ravi, said that they will remove the Pillana grovi, Sudarshan Chakram and Nemali Pincham and change the blue color to gold. He also said that they will keep a long knife in place of Pillanagrovi, which was usually kept by the kings. Meanwhile, TANA former president, NRI Talluri Jaya Sekhar expressed his sadness over the objection to the installation of the NTR statue in Khammam city. He said that NTR was a people’s man, and the Yadavas have no objections after the changes are made. The program will be conducted on May 28 in Khammam as part of the 100th birth anniversary of N T Rama Rao.
