Telangana marks people’s rule day, Centre holds Hyderabad liberation day

Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday said his government was focussing on rebuilding the state after it suffered under the “despotic regime” of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi in the last decade.
Addressing a gathering on the occasion of “Praja Palana Dinotsavam” (people’s governance day celebration) after unfurling the national flag at Public Gardens in Hyderabad, the chief minister said it was on this day in 1948, the state of Telangana was liberated from the dictatorial regime of the Nizams and merged with the Indian Union.
“This year, the people of Telangana also obtained freedom from the 10-year despotic regime of the BRS. That is why, we wanted to celebrate September 17 as the day of people’s rule,” he said.
Simultaneously, the Central government also organised a separate event to celebrate the day as “Hyderabad Liberation Day” with Union minister for coal and mines G Kishan Reddy inspecting the ceremonial parade at Secunderabad Parade Grounds.
On March 12, the Union ministry of home affairs issued a gazette notification to celebrate September 17 – the day when erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad was acceded to Indian Union – as Hyderabad Liberation Day.
The notification said that Hyderabad did not achieve independence for 13 months after the Union became independent on August 15, 1947 and was under Nizam’s rule.
The region was liberated from Nizam’s rule on September 17, 1948, after a military action dubbed “Operation Polo”.
Though an official notification was issued this year, the Centre has been organising celebrations in Hyderabad on September 17 since 2022. In the previous two occasions, Union home minister Amit Shah hoisted the national flag and reviewed the parade by contingents of paramilitary forces.
On the other hand, the previous BRS government, led by K Chandrasekhar Rao, had been officially celebrating September 17 as National Integration Day since 2022. This year, however, the Revanth Reddy-led government chose to rename it as “Praja Palana Dinotsavam.”
Reddy’s actions drew a sharp reaction from senior BRS leader and former minister T Harish Rao. He said it was unfortunate that the chief minister had made political speeches even on the Telangana integration day.
“Revanth Reddy is feeling so insecure that he cannot spend a day without attacking BRS and KCR. All through his speech, he spoke utter lies about Telangana’s development in the last 10 years. It is ridiculous on his part to talk about Telangana reconstruction, as it was the Congress which had ruined Telangana during his regime in the combined Andhra Pradesh,” Harish Rao said.
However, the chief minister said that Telangana had fallen short of people’s expectations on many counts in the last 10 years and the Congress government was now trying hard to bring stability in the state.
He reiterated his government’s commitment to ensure all round development of Telangana encompassing welfare of all sections including youth, women, farmers and downtrodden sections.
Reacting sharply to the criticism of the BRS leaders that he had mortgaged the self-respect of Telangana people with the leaders at the Centre by making frequent visits to Delhi, Revanth Reddy said he was not a “farmhouse” chief minister but a “chief minister of action”.
“I have no ego to go to Delhi to get the state’s due shares from the Centre. Delhi is not in Pakistan or Bangladesh. It is the national capital. We are trying hard to get every penny that is due to us from the Centre. I had been to Delhi several times and met the Union ministers, including the Prime Minister, and submitted memoranda,” the CM said.
Stating that his government would fulfil all the promises his party had made before the elections, Revanth Reddy explained how he had already implemented several promises like free bus travel for women, waiver of crop loans of farmers up to ₹2 lakh, filling up of government vacancies, free electricity supply up to 200 units, supply of cooking gas cylinders for ₹500. etc.
“We are going to build 54.50 lakh houses under Indiramma Housing Scheme this year by providing financial assistance of ₹5 lakh for the construction of each house. Our government has set up the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRA) to free lakes from those who have illegally occupied them,” he added.
The chief minister also claimed that his government was heralding a cultural renaissance of Telangana. He pointed out that the song “Jaya Jayahe Telangana Janani Jayaketanam” written by Ande Sri, was adopted as the official song of Telangana. The abbreviation of Telangana was changed to TG from TS, as per the aspiration of the people.
In the Secretariat, his government had recently performed Bhumi Pooja for the statue of Telangana Thalli. In order to honour state icons, his government had named a film award after balladeer Gaddar. Similarly, the women’s university at Kothi has been renamed after revolutionary leader Chakali Ailamma, he said.
“Unlike the previous BRS government which projected Telangana culture as that of KCR’s family, we have adopted the culture for which the people had fought for several decades. For us, people are the guiding force,” he said.
BRS, Congress cheated people
Kishan Reddy said both the BRS and the Congress had cheated the people of the state by distorting facts on Hyderabad liberation day.
He pointed out that while the governments in Maharashtra and Karnataka had been officially celebrating the day in districts which were part of the erstwhile Hyderabad princely state, the governments in Telangana and in undivided Andhra Pradesh had refused to hold official celebrations.
“Our Telangana history was suppressed, twisted and people were misled. Facts were hidden with bad intentions for the sake of vote bank politics and appeasement,” he said.
“The future of a society can be built only if facts of history are known. The future generations should be made aware of history,” he said, adding that for Telangana, September 17 is as important as August 15 is for the country.
“Let’s bury the parties that do not bother about the independence of Telangana and let’s drive away such persons to the borders of Telangana. Let’s move ahead with self-respect and self-confidence,” he added.