Rs 100 NTR Coin Unveiled By President Murmu

The family members of legendary actor and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR) attended an event to unveil a Rs 100 coin featuring NTR at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi on August 28. The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, presided over the ceremony.

The coin, which is worth one hundred rupees, has a diameter of 44 mm and has 50 per cent silver, 40 per cent copper, 5 per cent nickel and 5 per cent zinc. One side of the coin features three lions and the Ashoka Chakra, while the other side displays a picture of NTR along with text which reads "Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Satha Jayanthi". The coin would be marked with the years 1923-2023 to commemorate NTR's centenary.

NTR's daughter, Daggubati Purandeswari, who is the state BJP president, is believed to have played a pivotal role in urging the central government to issue the Rs 100 coin as a tribute to NTR's memory. Notably, she was closely involved in designing the coin as well.

However, NTR's second wife, N Lakshmi Parvati, has expressed her discontent over not receiving an invitation to the ceremony. In a complaint addressed to the President, Lakshmi Parvati has alleged that invitations were extended to all members of the NTR family, including TDP president Nara Chandrababu Naidu, who she claims collaborated with family members to wrest power from NTR, despite his victory of 226 out of 294 Assembly seats in the 1994 elections. Lakshmi Parvati emphasized that her legal marriage to NTR took place on September 11, 1993, and she actively participated in the 1994 Assembly elections.

Pointing out the surprise and dismay caused by inviting the very family members she believes were responsible for NTR's demise to the prestigious event, while sidelining the rightful heir, she expressed her deep disappointment. However, as of now, there has been no response from Rashtrapati Bhavan regarding her complaint.

The controversy surrounding the coin unveiling ceremony is the latest in a series of disputes between Lakshmi Parvati and the NTR family. In 2014, Lakshmi Parvati had filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a share in NTR's properties. The petition is still pending in court.