Hyderabad: Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy on Saturday accused the ruling BRS and opposition Congress of trying to divert people's attention from the Centre's official celebration of 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' on September 17. The erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad under Nizam rule merged with the Indian Union on September 17, 1948.
Speaking to reporters, Reddy, who is also Union Tourism Minister, recalled that the 'Liberation Day' was officially celebrated by the Centre, for the first time, last year with Union Home Minister Amit Shah attending the event in Hyderabad. The event would be celebrated again in Hyderabad this year. "But, unfortunately, Congress and BRS are conspiring to weaken and mislead people's attention from Telangana Liberation celebrations," he said.
The two parties, in a clandestine understanding with the AIMIM, are trying to dilute the importance of the celebration organised by the Centre, he alleged. Referring to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Congress planning to organise their own meetings on September 17, he said though he is not expressing any objection, all parties need to attend the Centre's event.
The chief minister did not attend the event last year, he said. The Congress and BRS are trying to divert people's attention from the celebration in the name of other meetings, he claimed. Hitting out at the Congress and BRS for not officially celebrating September 17 during their tenure in office allegedly under the influence of AIMIM, Reddy said BJP has been fighting for the official celebration for the last 25 years.
He also said the celebration would be held for the first time in Rashtrapati Bhavan. This is a tribute to the freedom fighters who fought against the Nizam rule, he said. September 17, the day the erstwhile Hyderabad State under Nizam rule merged with the Indian Union in 1948, is interpreted differently by different parties in Telangana. Describing September 17, 1948 as 'Liberation Day', the BJP has been fighting for its official celebration.
The BRS government had declared the day last year as National Integration Day, while others call it as a day of merger. Congress has recently decided to conduct its working committee meetings in Hyderabad on September 16 and 17. (PTI)
