Each of the three main political parties in Telangana marked the “Hyderabad Liberation Day” by accusing each other of betrayal of the people of the state.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused the two Opposition parties, Congress and BRS, of hesitating to celebrate the day on which the Nizam-ruled state of Hyderabad merged with the Union of India after Operation Polo even after the formation of Telangana due to vote-bank politics.
BRS supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar warned the “forces” trying to obstruct the progress of the state while the Congress blamed both the BRS Government and the BJP at the Centre for betraying the promise of Golden Telangana.
At a programme organised by the government of India at the Secunderabad Parade ground on the occasion, Shah praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for initiating the tradition of celebrating this historic day since last year when the country was observing 75 years of independence unlike previous rulers who were scared of marking this day due to the appeasement policy they follow.
He said the torture that the people of this region have gone through under the Nizam rule cannot find a parallel in the history the world.
Highlighting the significance of the day, Shah recalled the words of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who had said an independent Hyderabad was like a cancer in the stomach of India and initiated the police action.
He said, “It is unfortunate that even after the formation of Telangana, other parties are hesitant to observe Hyderabad Liberation Day because of vote-bank politics. I want to tell them if you turn away from history, the public will also turn away from you.”
Although he did not name any party, Congress, BRS or AIMIM observed the day as Telangana Integration Day instead of the term “liberation day”.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who attended a separate programme by the state government to mark the Telangana Integration Day at Public Gardens said the young state has become a role model for the entire country.
“Everyone in the country is speaking about Telangana which emerged as a trailblazer with the pioneering efforts of my government,” said Rao, who then listed out the progress made by the state in different fields.
He also spoke about the travails of the people for decades after the erstwhile Hyderabad state was merged with the Union of India to form the unified state of Andhra Pradesh instead of harping on the Nizam era. He warned, “The progress will continue and the forces that are trying to obstruct it will be defeated.”
Meanwhile, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) made an appeal to elect the party in the upcoming polls. The appeal read: “Nine years after Telangana was formed the CWC notes with anguish that the promise of Golden Telangana lies shattered, betrayed by governments both in Delhi and Hyderabad.”
Alleging that the resources of the state were siphoned off by the incumbent government, it said, “Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his family have established a family rule and are deaf to the voices of the people.”
It also criticized projects like digital land records like Dharani and massive irrigation scheme like Kaleshwaram.