Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan to Attend Hyderabad Liberation Day Celebrations on Sep 17

Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan will be the chief guest at the Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations scheduled to be held in Hyderabad on September 17 under the aegis of the Union government. The event will be organised at the Parade Grounds in Secunderabad. Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy inspected the arrangements on Tuesday and said Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat would also attend the programme.

September 17 marks the day in 1948 when the erstwhile Hyderabad State was liberated from the autocratic rule of the Nizam and subsequently integrated into the Indian Union. After reviewing the arrangements, Kishan Reddy said the occasion should not be viewed as belonging to any particular political party, but as a matter of Telangana’s collective pride and self-respect. He said the celebrations were intended to remember the martyrs who fought against the Nizam’s rule and laid down their lives during the struggle.

Kishan Reddy alleged that both the previous BRS government and the present Congress government had refrained from officially observing the occasion due to pressure from the AIMIM. He said the Union government had therefore been conducting the celebrations in Hyderabad for the fifth consecutive year.

The programme this year will combine a parade by paramilitary forces with performances showcasing Telangana’s rich cultural traditions. A special dance presentation featuring around 1,000 artists is expected to be a key attraction. Organisers are also setting up a photo exhibition depicting the atrocities associated with the Nizam’s rule in 1948 and highlighting the courage and valour of the Indian Army during the integration of Hyderabad. In 2023, a similar event in Hyderabad was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah as the chief guest.

The significance of September 17 remains a matter of political debate in Telangana, with different parties adopting different descriptions of the day. The BJP calls it Hyderabad Liberation Day and has for years demanded that the state government officially commemorate it. BJP leaders have accused successive governments of avoiding official celebrations over vote-bank considerations and minority appeasement. The BRS government observed the day as National Integration Day, while the current Congress government marks it as Telangana Praja Palana Day.

Kishan Reddy also noted that September 17 coincides with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday and Vishwakarma Jayanti. He praised Modi’s leadership as Gujarat Chief Minister and Prime Minister and said month-long birthday celebrations would be organised by the Centre, BJP and NDA partners from September 17.