Opposition Hits Out at Telangana Govt for Relabelling Sept. 17

In a letter to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, BJP state president and Union minister G. Kishan Reddy refused to attend the state government event, saying that he could not take part in “an insincere ritual which blatantly attempts to erase the truth from the people.”

He claimed that the intent of the state government seemed to be to deflect the attention of the people from the core aspects of the armed struggle carried out by the people to liberate themselves from Nizam rule.

Kishan Reddy said that the liberation of Telangana was a heart-wrenching story of courage, sacrifice and martyrdom. “The purpose of Liberation Day is to inspire the present generations with patriotic and nationalist fervour by informing them of the pristine history of the liberation,” he said.

Union minister of state for home Bandi Sanjay said what the state government was observing was in fact `Telangana Praja Vanchana Day’ (deception day). He claimed the government was acting in collusion with the AIMIM, which he termed as the `Razakar Party’. “The government has surrendered to a party which made slogans of “Jai Pakistan” and “Jai Palestine” on the floor of Lok Sabha,” he alleged.

Addressing a press conference after inaugurating a photograph exhibition on the incidents associated with liberation of Telangana from the Nizam rule at Parade Ground, where the Central government’s Hyderabad Liberation Day events will be held, Sanjay Kumar said that they would attend the programme if the state government celebrated September 17 as the `Liberation Day’.

“Sardar Patel liberated Telangana from autocratic Nizam rule by Operation Polo. If the Congress considers Sardar Patel as a Congressman, why not observe his heroic deed of Liberation Day wherein he conducted the Operation Polo, which paved the way for Nizam to surrender to the Indian Army,” he asked.

Sanjay Kumar said that the Congress leaders had been trying to cover up the agitational spirit displayed by the people against Nizam rule. “The BRS has already faced the wrath of the people for trying to mislead history and the Congress too faces the same fate,” he said, adding that the photo exhibition organised at Parade Grounds reflects the plight of people in Nizam rule and how they led an armed struggle.

He recalled the incident of Udala Marri in Nirmal, where 1,000 people were hanged from a banyan tree. He pointed to the fight carried out by 100 youths of Veera Byranpally against the Nizam army. Later, the Nizam sent a huge army to kill all the youth of the village, he said.

On the charge of irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy that the BJP had no right to take part in the Liberation Day celebrations, Sanjay Kumar asked why the Congress had not celebrated the day when it was in power in the state for more than 50 years.

BRS leader Dasoju Sravan Kumar said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy inviting prominent BJP leaders such as Amit Shah, Kishan Reddy, and Bandi Sanjay to commemorate the state government event was inconsistent with the stand of the Indian National Congress’ traditionally balanced stance.

This, he opined, was a significant move which reflected a deceitful alignment with the BJP, reinforcing suspicion that he might be preparing to merge with them in the future.

He said the actions strongly echoed the BJP’s political tactics of historical revisionism, which could have deeper consequences for both the present and future political narrative.

He wondered if senior Congress leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge were aware that Revanth Reddy was “conspicuously attempting to exploit the historical festival by rebranding it as Telangana Praja Palana Dinotsavam.”