Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy paid glowing tributes to freedom fighter and designer of the National Flag Pingali Venkaiah on the latter’s 146th birth anniversary on Tuesday.
The Chief Minister hoisted the national tricolor at his camp office and took the salute. He also inaugurated a photo exhibition on the life of Pingali Venkaiah. Energy Minister P R C Reddy, Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma, Special Chief Secretary (Tourism and Culture) Rajat Bhargava, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Ravi Shankar Ayyanar, and other officials attended.
The birth anniversary of Pingali Venkaiah is being celebrated across the nation as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
India Post has released a special postal cover on Pingali Venkaiah to commemorate the occasion. In Bhatlapenumarru village in Krishna district, the birthplace of the freedom fighter, an event was organized to mark his birth anniversary.
At the Indian National Congress meeting held in Vijayawada, under the chairmanship of Mahatma Gandhi in 1921, the tricolor designed by Pingali Venkaiah was adopted as the National Flag. He thus became also popular as “Jhanda (flag) Venkaiah”.