New Delhi, August , 28 2023 : A fresh wave of controversy has emerged as the Nandamuri and Nara families descend upon New Delhi to partake in the unveiling ceremony of the Rs 100 coin, set to be released by President Droupadi Murmu on Monday, commemorating the centenary of NTR’s birth. However, the event has taken a contentious turn as NTR’s second wife, N Lakshmi Parvati, made a last-minute move to express her dissent over not receiving an invitation to the ceremony.
Lakshmi Parvati, in her formal complaint addressed to the President, alleged that while invitations were extended to all members of the NTR family, including TDP president Nara Chandrababu Naidu, she was deliberately excluded. She accused Chandrababu Naidu of colluding with other family members to seize power from NTR, despite NTR’s triumph in securing 226 out of 294 Assembly seats in the 1994 elections. Lakshmi Parvati, who legally married NTR on September 11, 1993, and actively participated in the 1994 Assembly elections, expressed her dismay at the preferential treatment given to those she holds responsible for NTR’s demise.
Notably, Rashtrapati Bhavan has yet to respond to Lakshmi Parvati’s grievance. Within political circles, speculations have arisen regarding the behind-the-scenes efforts made by Daggubati Purandeswari, the state BJP president and NTR’s daughter, in advocating for the issuance of the commemorative Rs 100 coin. Purandeswari’s close involvement in the coin’s design has further fueled these speculations.
The demand for the posthumous awarding of the Bharat Ratna to NTR by the Central government has been fervently championed by both the Nandamuri and Nara families, along with the TDP. This collective aspiration contributed to the families’ invitation to the ceremony. It is worth noting that the schism within the TDP, partly attributed to NTR’s marriage to Lakshmi Parvati and her subsequent intervention in party matters, has also played a role in shaping the current political landscape, as asserted by TDP leaders.
Presently aligned with the YSRCP, Lakshmi Parvati’s political affiliation could be a factor behind her omission from the guest list, according to sources within the BJP. As anticipation mounts for the forthcoming coin release event, the controversy surrounding Lakshmi Parvati’s exclusion continues to attract attention and spark debates within political circles.
