New Delhi, June 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid tributes to former Prime Minister late P.V. Narasimha Rao on his birth anniversary, recalling his pivotal role in shaping India’s development trajectory during a crucial phase of economic and political transformation.

In a post on X, PM Modi wrote: “Remembering Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao Garu on his birth anniversary. India is grateful to him for his effective leadership during a crucial phase of our development trajectory. His intellect, wisdom, and scholarly nature are also widely admired.”

Leaders from across the political spectrum also paid tributes to Narasimha Rao, hailing him as a visionary leader whose bold economic liberalisation policies transformed the modern Indian economy and elevated the country’s global standing.

Born on June 28, 1921, in Laknepalli village of the erstwhile Warangal district in present-day Telangana, Narasimha Rao came from a Telugu Niyogi Brahmin family. A freedom fighter during the Independence movement, he joined full-time politics after Independence as a member of the Indian National Congress and went on to serve as India’s ninth Prime Minister from 1991 to 1996. He was the first person from South India and only the second from a non-Hindi-speaking background to hold the post.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh honoured Rao’s legacy with a message on social media, calling him “a towering statesman and scholar par excellence.”

“Remembering former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao Garu on his birth anniversary. His tenure as Prime Minister of India made notable contributions to far-reaching economic progress and national development,” Singh wrote.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also paid his respects and said, "We pay our tributes to former Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao on his birth anniversary. His government’s far-reaching economic liberalisation policies were instrumental in catalysing an era of unprecedented national growth.”

Highlighting Rao’s impact, Kharge added that these reforms were pivotal in uplifting and expanding the middle class, laying a strong foundation for a more resilient India. He also acknowledged Rao’s contributions to India’s nuclear programme and foreign policy, particularly the initiation of the 'Look East' policy.

The Congress party echoed similar sentiments, describing Rao as “a visionary leader whose 1991 economic reforms set India on the path of progress, liberalisation, and self-reliance.”

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also paid tribute, saying, “I bow down to the former Prime Minister of the country, 'Bharat Ratna' P.V. Narasimha Rao on his birth anniversary.”

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla described Rao as the architect of India’s prosperity through liberalisation, noting, “He will always be remembered for opening the doors of prosperity in the country through economic reforms.” (IANS)

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