Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting M. Venkaiah Naidu as part of celebrations marking 70 years of Independence and honouring of freedom fighters of the country who made supreme sacrifices for the country today will garland the Statue of Prakasam Pantulu in Vijayawada on Prakasam Barrage. <br/><br/> Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu was a freedom fighter, chief minister of the Madras Presidency, and subsequently became the first chief minister of the new Andhra state. He was born on August 23, 1872 near Ongole. He was also known as Andhra Kesari, the "Lion of Andhra". The Andhra Pradesh government issued G.O. on 10 August 2014 declaring his birth anniversary a state festival.<br/><br/>The Union Minister will also visit All India Radio and Doordarshan Kendra in Vijayawada and pay tributes to Pingali Venkaiah the maker of national flag, whose statue is kept in the premises of AIR-Vijayawada. Later the Minister will interact with the officials and staff of both the organizations.