Hyderabad, Sep 17 : Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy hoisted the national flag on the occasion of Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations here on Tuesday.

The celebrations were organised at Parade Ground, Secunderabad under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture to commemorate the accession of erstwhile Hyderabad State with the Indian Union.

The event saw a colourful march past by Central Armed Police Forces and units of defence and cultural performance by over 700 artists.

BJP MPs K. Laxman and E. Rajender, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) director general Anish Dayal Singh, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) director general R. S. Bhatti and officials of the Ministry of Culture were present.

Speaking on the occasion, Kishan Reddy and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar lashed out at successive governments in united Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for not officially celebrating September 17 as Hyderabad Liberation Day due to vote bank politics and appeasement.

Both the ministers called for educating the young generation about the heroic struggle of the people to liberate Telangana from the clutches of the tyrannical rule of Nizam and the brutalities of his private army Razakars.

They slammed the Congress government for giving September 17 the name of 'Praja Palana Dinotsvam' (People's Governance Day).

Kishan Reddy said the previous rulers distorted history to suppress facts about the sacrifices of martyrs and the repression by Nizam and Razakars.

He claimed the fight for the liberation of Telangana was one of the unique movements in world history.

The BJP leader spoke in detail about how excesses were committed on people, particularly Hindus and attempts were made to wipe out the Telangana culture and Telugu language.

The Union Minister said though the state government refused to officially celebrate September 17, the Centre took the initiative to celebrate Hyderabad Liberation Day in 2022.

Bandi Sanjay Kumar said that not celebrating 'Telangana Liberation Day' amounts to insulting the sacrifices of the martyrs.

He alleged that parties in power never celebrated the day officially to please the successors of Razakars.

The Minister of State said the BJP was accused of communalising the issue to raise the demand for official celebrations. 'We are not against Muslims. All Muslims are not Razakars,' he said and mentioned that Muslims like journalist Shoaibullah Khan also fought against Nizam's autocracy.

Bandi Sanjay said the Government of India issued a Gazette notification to celebrate September 17 every year as Hyderabad Liberation Day and demanded the state government to follow the notification. "If the state government follows the notification and organise the celebrations accordingly, the Centre will also join in the celebrations," he said.

Finding fault with the Congress government celebrating the day as 'Praja Palana Dinotsvam', he asked if the people's governance was for only one day. He alleged that it was an attempt to divert public attention from the government's failure to implement the poll promises.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had invited Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay to attend the 'Praja Palana Dinotsvam' ceremony. The BJP leaders rejected the same saying they cannot be part of an insincere ritual that blatantly attempts to erase the truth from the people

/IANS