Parties reluctant to celebrate Hyderabad Liberation Day due to vote-bank politics: Shah

Hyderabad, Sep 17 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said it was unfortunate that even after the formation of Telangana state, political parties were reluctant to celebrate Hyderabad Liberation Day due to vote-bank politics.

“I want to tell these parties that if they ignore the country’s history, the people will ignore them,” he said while addressing Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations at Parade Grounds, Secunderabad here.

He said the country, Telangana and Hyderabad can progress only by being proud of its history and martyrdom of its freedom fighters.

For the second consecutive year, the Union Ministry of Culture organised the celebrations to mark the anniversary of erstwhile Hyderabad State’s accession to the Indian Union.

Amit Shah lamented that for 75 years, no government organised any event to explain the importance of this great day to people, especially youth and to highlight the sacrifices of the martyrs and freedom fighters.

"They were scared because of the appeasement politics,” he said and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for starting the new tradition of organising the celebrations under the aegis of the Union Culture Ministry.

“There are three objectives of these celebrations -- to remind the new generation of the sacrifices made to liberate this region, pay tributes to martyrs and rededicate ourselves to build the nation of the dreams of our freedom fighters,” he said.

Paying rich tributes to India’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for liberating Hyderabad State to merge it with the Indian Union, Shah said if there was no Sardar Patel, Hyderabad state’s liberation would not have happened early.

"After the independence from the British, the cruel Nizam ruled the state for 399 days. These 399 days were torturous for the people of Telangana. Sardar Patel helped the state gain freedom on the 400th day,” he said.

The home minister said the duo of Sardar Patel and K.M. Munshi played a key role in designing and executing Hyderabad’s liberation.

He recalled the words of Sardar Patel that an independent Hyderabad will be like a cancer in the stomach and its only treatment is an operation. “He conducted the operation called 'Police Action' and without shedding a drop of blood, made Nizam’s Razakar Army to surrender,” he said.

Shah said lakhs of people participated and many sacrificed their lives in the movement to liberate Hyderabad State which comprised Telangana, Kalyana Karnataka and Marathwada.

He said various organisations and individuals actively participated in the movement.

The home minister released special postal covers on journalist Shoiabullah Khan and tribal freedom fighter Ramji Gond who fought against Nizam.

Union Minister for Tourism and Culture and state BJP president G. Kishan Reddy blamed the Congress party for not organising the official celebrations on Hyderabad Liberation Day for last 75 years.

He criticized Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and other parties for celebrating September 17 as the national  integration day. “How can it be called integration day,” he asked.

Earlier, Shah hoisted the national flag and paid floral tributes to Sardar Patel. He also reviewed the parade by 12 contingents of paramilitary forces. There was a colourful march past by the contingents of CRPF, RAF and CISF.

Union Home Secretary Ajay K. Bhalla, Culture Secretary Govind Mohan, Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka, CRPF Director General Sujoy Lal Thaosen, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Director General  Rashmi Shukla were also present.

Shah also virtually laid the foundation stone for family accommodation for SSB personnel. The family quarters are coming up on 85 acres of land at Ibrahimpatnam near Hyderabad.