Hyderabad: Union home minister Amit Shah said the Centre will celebrate September 17 as “Liberation Day” and continue to do so with pride every year to mark the day Indian forces entered the city ruled by the Nizam in 1948.
His statement was viewed as a riposte to Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao and his TRS government as well as those who insist that Hyderabad had “integrated” into the Indian Union and was not “liberated” by Operation Polo - then home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s code name for the military action.
Shah spoke at a packed Parade Grounds in the city where the Centre launched its year-long Telangana Liberation Day celebrations “to mark 75 years of Hyderabad becoming part of India”.
“Suddenly, everyone has joined to observe September 17 as Liberation Day after the Centre announced it,” he said, alluding to the fact that no political party in the region had grandly celebrated the historic day for the past seven decades. Events barely lasted a couple of hours.
Shah said whether someone observed it or not, PM Narendra Modi has decided to officially observe the day and will continue to do so with pride. The day also happens to be PM Modi’s birthday. Steering clear of directly naming KCR and his government, which has announced three days of celebration, Shah said those who do not want to call it “Liberation Day” should remember that they are in power because of the sacrifices of martyrs. They have forgotten the very purpose of the state’s creation, he said.
He also took a swipe at Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM, who had demanded that September 17 be observed as National Integration Day. “September 17 was not observed in the state due to vote-bank politics and due to pressure from some parties. But, these parties should now realise that there is no Razakar rule in this county,” Shah said.
After the event, Shah met badminton ace and coach Pullela Gopichand, triggering speculation about the former All England champion heading to politics - fuelled more by the fact that his ward and ex-world No 1 Saina Nehwal joined BJP two years ago.
