Hyderabad: Minorities Welfare Minister Mohammed Azharuddin said Kaka Venkatswamy built his public life around service to homeless people, workers and other marginalised sections.
Azharuddin made the remarks at Ravindra Bharathi on Monday during a programme marking the late leader’s 97th birth anniversary.
He said the leader’s children, Minister Dr. G. Vivek Venkatswamy and G. Vinod, and his grandson and MP Vamshi Krishna Venkatswamy were carrying forward his commitment to poor and working-class families.
Azharuddin also recalled his association with the late leader. His father, who was born on October 6, often spoke to him about the veteran politician, he said. His father admired the leader’s commitment to poor and working people.
The Minister said the late leader helped provide housing to nearly 80,000 poor and homeless families. As a result, his work for economically weaker and marginalised sections earned him widespread popularity and respect among poor people.
Kaka Venkatswamy led a major housing initiative
Azharuddin said Kaka Venkatswamy launched the large-scale housing initiative decades ago. He compared that effort with the government’s current provision of Indiramma Indlu to poor and deserving families.
“It is remarkable that Kaka Venkatswamy took up such a large-scale housing initiative for the poor decades ago. Today, our government is providing Indiramma Indlu to poor and deserving families, but Kaka Venkatswamy had already demonstrated this commitment to housing for the underprivileged much earlier,” Azharuddin said.
Moreover, Azharuddin said the grassroots approach of the late leader influenced politics in Telangana and at the national level. His commitment to workers and poor people also continued to influence younger politicians, he said.
“Many young politicians continue to draw inspiration from Kaka Venkatswamy’s style of functioning and his commitment to people,” Azharuddin said.
Earlier on Monday, Azharuddin paid floral tributes to Kaka Venkatswamy at his statue on Tank Bund. Ministers Dr. G. Vivek Venkatswamy and Ponnam Prabhakar joined him at the tribute programme.