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Even six months after his death, most Congress functionaries seem to be keeping a safe distance from former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao.
An event organised here on Tuesday under the banner of P V Narasimha Rao Memorial Committee to mark the 85th birth anniversary of the former PM, turned out to be M S Bitta's Anti Terrorist Front show.
Though PM Manmohan Singh turned up to pay homage to the leader whom he had called his political guru, most of his colleagues were conspicuous by their absence. The exceptions were party general secretary Digvijay Singh, Andhra chief minister Y S Raishekhar Reddy and T Subbirami Reddy, Member of Parliament.
The absence of the leaders and the party cadre was put down to the perception that Narasiniha Rao had annoyed the 10, Janpath loyalists. Though Rao was the first PM outside the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to last the full five-year term, the loyalists have not forgiven him for carving a niche for himself.
First among those who turned up to pay tribute to the architect of economic reforms were former President K R Narayanan, Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party chief Bhim Singh and Ramdas Athawale of Republican Party Former PMs Atal Bihari Vajpayee and I K Gujral paid tributes to the man who initiated the reforms.
The programme commenced with
chanting of slokas, followed by sarva dharma prarthana and ended
with bhajans by Anup Jalota.
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