BJP-TRS in one-upmanship game

Hyderabad: The BJP-TRS showdown over Liberation Day has assumed deep political colour. The Government of India on Saturday approved the launch of the year-long Telangana Liberation Day celebrations from Parade Grounds on September 17.

Reacting to it, the Telangana government decided to inaugurate year-long Telangana Integration Day celebrations on September 16 a day ahead of the Centre.

The Union Government said that the celebrations are aimed at paying tributes to all those who sacrificed their lives for liberation of Samsthan and its merger with the Indian Union. The Union Ministry of Tourism and Culture has invited Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to be the guest of honour.

The chief minister will not attend the programme because of the ruffled relations with the BJP and as he would be busy in the launch of the year long Vajrotsavalu. The state government, which on Friday, thought that it would call it as Rytu Porata Vajrotsavalu has now decided to name the celebrations as Telangana Integration Day and hold inaugural celebrations spread over three days in a grand manner from September 16.

Interestingly, a little before the cabinet meeting, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi had written a letter to Amit Shah asking the Union Government to name it as the National Integration Day.

Owaisi stated that the accession and merger of various princely states were not only about liberating the territories from autocratic rulers.

"More importantly, the nationalist movement rightly saw the people of these territories as an integral part of independent India. Therefore, the phrase 'National Integration Day' may be more apposite, rather than mere liberation."

According to the schedule announced by the CMO, massive rallies will be taken out in all assembly constituencies involving students, youth and women on September 16.

This will be followed by the unfurling of the national flag at Public Gardens by KCR. Ministers will participate in similar programmes in districts. Later in the day, KCR will inaugurate Banjara Bhavan and Adivasi Bhavan and in the evening cultural programmes will be organised near Ambedkar statue on Tank Bund. On September 18, the government will felicitate freedom fighters, poets and artists in all districts.

While the AIMIM announced that on September 16, all MLAs of AIMIM and others would embark on Tiranga rally on motorcycle and will organise a public meeting for national integration, TPCC has announced unfurling of Tiranga in all the villages on September 17.