With the September 17 date fast approaching, Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has upped the ante by appealing to Governor Tamilisai Sounderarajan as the constitutional head to intervene to convince the TRS government to celebrate the ‘Liberation Day’ on Monday.
In a memorandum submitted to the Governor, a copy of which was released to the media, party president Bandi Sanjay Kumar and other top leaders told her that the State government has been refusing to celebrate the momentous occasion thereby betraying the people of the State when neighbouring Maharashtra and Karnataka have been holding official functions to commemorate the day.
Giving a historical perspective, the BJP leaders informed her that while the rest of the country had attained Independence on August 15, 1947, the people in the Nizam-ruled Hyderabad, including parts of Maharastra and Karnataka, had to wait for another year before they could enjoy freedom.
While the Nizam was toying with the idea of joining Pakistan or being independent, the Razakars - which was the proxy army of his - indulged in atrocities against common people seeking union with rest of the country.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao after having promised to celebrate the liberation day and recognise the sacrifices made by many people during the struggle, when he was agitating for the separate State, changed his tune on coming to power due to pressure from the Majlis party, they said.
The BJP has been agitating for the cause for the last two decades demanding the governments to celebrate the liberation day as there is consensus among people about the need for it.
The party also wanted a proper memorial to be built in a prominent place in the twin cities to honour the Telangana martyrs and to pay homage so that the future generations get inspired by the people’s movement, the memorandum said.