Marking the 105th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao, the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya (PM Museum) on Saturday inaugurated a special exhibition showcasing the life and legacy of the Congress leader credited with steering India through one of its most challenging economic crises.
Titled 'A Statesman's Journey: P. V. Narasimha Rao', the exhibition traces Rao's journey from a small village in the erstwhile Hyderabad State to becoming India's ninth Prime Minister. It brings together rare photographs, official documents, speeches, correspondence and audio-visual material highlighting his role in ushering in the 1991 economic reforms, as well as his contributions to governance, diplomacy and literature.
Speaking at the inauguration, Rao's grandson, N. V. Subhash, said the former prime minister's life should inspire India's younger generation. Subhash is now BJP’s chief spokesperson in Telangana.
"His journey should inspire Gen Z. He came from an ordinary village and rose to become the Prime Minister of India. He was the first Prime Minister from South India and a great scholar who knew 14 languages," Subhash said.
He said Rao had successfully led a minority government while initiating economic reforms that transformed India. "The vision of a Viksit Bharat that Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks about today rests on the foundations laid by P.V. Narasimha Rao in 1991," he said.
The exhibition also highlights Rao's role as a freedom fighter, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and Union minister handling key portfolios, besides exploring his literary and intellectual pursuits. He served as Prime Minister from 1991 to 1996 and was posthumously conferred the Bharat Ratna in 2024.
The exhibition has been opened to the public at the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya and is expected to remain a permanent resource for students, researchers and visitors seeking to understand Rao's contribution to India's political and economic transformation.
The BJP has been highlighting the contribution of the former PM alleging that the Congress had largely ignored him after he vacated the post. Narasimha Rao was awarded Bharat Ratna by the BJP government in 2024.
