By IANS,
Hyderabad : The 60th anniversary of the Hyderabad Liberation Day was celebrated Wednesday with various political parties paying tributes to the freedom fighters who laid down their lives for the accession of Hyderabad State with the Indian Union.
The ruling Congress party, the main opposition Telugu Desam Party, Telangana Rashtra Samiti and Bharatiya Janata Party celebrated the day by unfurling the national flag and organising meetings. The communist parties and Praja Rajyam floated recently by Telugu superstar-turned-politician Chiranjeevi also celebrated the day.
It was on this day that then Hyderabad state acceded to the Indian Union as the last Nizam or ruler of the princely state surrendered before the Indian Army. The princely state comprising Telangana region and parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra attained freedom 13 months and two days after India got independence on August 15, 1947.
Tension prevailed at the state secretariat as activists of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a sit-in demanding that the government officially celebrate the liberation day. The protesters tried to barge into the secretariat as police used mild force and arrested them.
BJP reiterated its demand that the state government officially celebrate the Hyderabad Liberation Day. It pointed out that Karnataka and Maharashtra were officially celebrating this day every year.
BJP state president Bandaru Dattatreya alleged that the successive governments neglected the demand of official celebrations for their narrow political interests. He was speaking after garlanding the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He said had Patel not ordered ‘police action’ against Nizam, Hyderabad state would have turned into another Kashmir.
To mark the occasion, a function was held at Gandhi Bhavan, the headquarters of Congress party. Home minister K. Jana Reddy assured the freedom fighters that he would urge the government to conduct official celebrations. Party president D. Srinivas unfurled the national flag and felicitated the freedom fighters. He said the movement for Hyderabad’s liberation played a key role in India’s independence.
Though political parties and various associations of freedom fighters have been celebrating the day, the successive governments avoided official celebrations keeping in view the sensitivities of a section of people. Some Muslim organisations and leaders claim that a large number of civilians were killed by the Indian Army during the ‘police action’ against Nizam’s forces.
Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh and last Nizam of Hyderabad, had refused to accede to India after the country attained independence. He wanted to merge Hyderabad with Pakistan or remain as an independent state. His forces were accused of brutally suppressing the movement for Hyderabad’s merger with India.
At NTR Trust Bhavan, the headquarters of TDP, party President N. Chandrababu Naidu hoisted the tricolour to mark the occasion. He felicitated the freedom fighters and recalled their sacrifices.
TRS, which is fighting for separate statehood to Telangana region, also celebrated the day. TRS president K. Chandrasekhara Rao unfurled the national flag at the party headquarters.
The Lok Satta party also demanded that the government officially celebrate the occasion. Party president Jaiprakash Narayan hoisted the tricolour.
Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi felicitated freedom fighters and promised that if he gets an opportunity he would officially organise the celebrations.
Film actress-turned-politician Vijayshanti paid tributes to freedom fighters at various places in Warangal and Nalgonda districts. Talli Telangana party president called upon pro-Telangana forces to unite to achieve a separate state.