Congress takes pride in Narasimha Rao's accomplishments: Sonia Gandhi

Describing former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao as a bold leader and a dedicated Congressman, AICC president Sonia Gandhi on Friday said the grand old party takes pride in his accomplishments and contribution.

Describing former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao as a bold leader and a dedicated Congressman, AICC president Sonia Gandhi on Friday said the grand old party takes pride in his accomplishments and contribution. "Shri PV Narasimha Rao's tenure was also marked by a number of political, social, and foreign policy achievements that have endured. Above all he was a dedicated Congressman who served the party devotedly in various capacities," she said in a message read out by Telangana Congress President Uttam Kumar Reddy at the inaugural function.

The Congress in Telangana launched the centenary celebrations of Rao on Friday. Congratulating the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee for having organized the year-long celebrations, she said, "Shri Pv Narasimha Rao was a very respected national and international figure. The Congress party takes pride in his many accomplishments and contributions." She said the birth centenary of Rao is an occasion to recall and pay tribute to the "most scholarly and erudite personality", who after a long career in state and national politics, was the prime minister of the country at a time of "grave economic crisis".

"Through his bold leadership, our country was able to overcome many challenges successfully," she said, adding that the union budget of July 24, 1991, paved the way for the economic transformation of the country.