Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan will be the chief guest at the Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations being organised by the Centre at the Parade Grounds in Secunderabad on September 17. The event will feature a parade by paramilitary forces and cultural programmes.

Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, Union Ministers G. Kishan Reddy (Coal & Mines), Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (Tourism & Culture), and Bandi Sanjay Kumar (Minister of State for Home Affairs), along with senior BJP leaders, are expected to participate in the celebrations.

Ahead of the event, Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy inspected the arrangements on Tuesday, accompanied by State BJP president N. Ramchander Rao and other party leaders.

Mr. Kishan Reddy said the celebrations were intended to honour the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives during the struggle against the Nizam’s rule. The programme was being organised to recognise the aspirations of the local people and alleged that previous governments had failed to accord due importance to the occasion. He appealed to the public to participate in large numbers.

Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy and BJP State president N. Ramchander Rao take part in Mahila Shakti rally in the run-up to Hyderabad Liberation Day, at Charminar, in Hyderabad on Tuesday (September 15).

SIDDHANT THAKUR

Other BJP leaders also criticised the Congress government and the BRS regime, alleging that they had diluted the significance of Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations due to vote-bank considerations. Speaking at the release of the book ‘September 17 – Telangana Vimochana Dinamu’ authored by Osmania University professor G. Laxman, Mr. Ramchander Rao stressed the need to educate younger generations about the history of Hyderabad State’s integration with the Indian Union.

He said many young people were unaware that while India attained Independence in 1947, the erstwhile Hyderabad State, including the Telangana region, remained under the Nizam’s rule until it was integrated into the Indian Union in September 1948. History related to the liberation struggle must be conveyed to students in a simple and factual manner, he said.

BJP Mahila Morcha activists take part in Mahila Shakti rally in the run-up to Hyderabad Liberation Day, at Charminar in Hyderabad on Tuesday (September 15).

SIDDHANT THAKUR

Expressing hope that the book would help young readers better understand the historical significance of September 17, Mr. Ramchander Rao also accused Congress governments of corruption and said the BJP would continue its fight against such practices.

Rajya Sabha member K. Laxman alleged that successive governments had failed to adequately highlight the Hyderabad Liberation struggle and honour intellectuals who contributed to various public movements in the State. He also accused the Congress government of irregularities in land transactions involving public land and called upon the people to draw inspiration from the legacy of freedom fighters such as Chakali Ailamma in safeguarding public interests.