Hyderabad, Sep 17: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday took part in Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations at Parade Ground and said that Hyderabad would have taken more years to get liberated "if not for Sardar Patel."
The event was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy.
Speaking at the occasion, Amit Shah said that people of the state wanted to officially celebrate Hyderabad Liberation day and different political leaders had promised to celebrate the day. However, once in power, they refused to celebrate due to vote bank politics, he said.
"If not for Sardar Patel, Hyderabad would have taken more years to get liberated," India Today quoted the Union Home Minister as saying.
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"Sardar Patel knew that as long as Nizam's Razakars could not be defeated, the dream of Akhand Bharat will not be fulfilled. Unfortunately, 75 years are over and those who ruled this place could not dare celebrate Hyderabad Liberation Day due to vote bank politics," Amit Shah added in his speech at the event.
The State of Hyderabad which was under Nizam's rule was annexed into the Union of India after a police action code named 'Operation Polo' that culminated on September 17, 1948.
Hyderabad Liberation Day is celebrated on September 17 to remember the rebellion and the subsequent police action which led to the freedom of Hyderabad state from the Nizam's rule on September 17, 1948.
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In 1948, the first Home Minister of India Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel unfurled the Tricolour after Hyderabad merged with the Indian Union. The erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad, which was under the Nizam's rule, was annexed into the Union of India following a military action code-named 'Operation Polo', which culminated on September 17, 1948.