Hyderabad, Sep 17 : Praja Palana Dinotsvam or People's Governance Day was celebrated across Telangana on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of erstwhile Hyderabad State's integration with the Union of India.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy led the state in celebrating the day by hoisting the national flag at the Public Gardens in the heart of the city after paying tributes to the martyrs at Telangana Martyrs Memorial.

The national flag was hoisted at all government offices, urban local bodies, and gram panchayats. Ministers and top officials led the celebrations at the district headquarters.

It was on September 17, 1948, that Hyderabad State was integrated with the Union of India following India's military operation codenamed 'Operation Polo'.

According to an order issued by the state government to celebrate 'Praja Palana Dinotsvam', the geographical area that presently constitutes Telangana witnessed an epoch-making event on September 17, 1948, when it became a part of the Union of India and entered an era of democratic governance from an era of monarchic rule.

Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy hoisted the national flag in Warangal. Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari hoisted the national flag at the State Secretariat.

Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar unfurled the national flag on the Assembly premises in the presence of Legislative Council Chairman Gutta Sukhender Reddy.

Inspector General of Police (P&L), M. Ramesh, unfurled the national flag at the state DGP office. He recalled that as part of Operation Polo, Hyderabad was merged into India and the foundation for democratic governance was laid. He stated that reflecting the democratic system, the state government has decided to celebrate September 17 as Telangana Praja Palana Dinotsavam.

Though the political parties for the last 75 years had been organising celebrations at their party offices with different nomenclatures, the day was never celebrated officially till 2022 when the then chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao decided to celebrate it as National Integration Day.

The same year, the Culture Ministry of the Central Government organised 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' celebrations. Union Home Minister Amit Shah hoisted the national flag and reviewed the parade by central armed police forces at Parade Grounds, Secunderabad both in 2022 and 2023.

This time, Amit Shah did not participate in the celebrations as he was busy with the BJP campaign for Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana.

Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy hoisted the national flag and reviewed the parade at Parade Grounds, Secunderabad, in the presence of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar and the BJP MPs.

Kishan Reddy, who is also the state BJP president, hoisted the national flag at the party office as well.

State Congress president Mahesh Kumar Goud led 'Praja Palana Dinotsvam' at party headquarters Gandhi Bhavan.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao hoisted the national Tricolor at party headquarters Telangana Bhavan to mark the occasion.

The Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) celebrated the day as 'Telangana Merger Day'.

/IANS