Whenever September 17 comes, politics gets heated up in Telangana. The debate over whether Sep 17 is a ‘Liberation Day’ or ‘Integration Day’ gathers momentum and politicians from both sides try hard to make their point. While BJP has been vehemently making efforts to celebrate it as Liberation Day, its opponents have been opposing it with equal vigour. Earlier Congress governments and now TRS government, have been opposed to using the term ‘Liberation Day’ for Sep 17. AIMIM, which is considered a friendly party to TRS now and Congress in the past, is also opposed to it. But BJP has been hellbent on popularising the Liberation Day idea.
The reason why BJP wants Sep 17 to be called as a Liberation Day is, it sees police action on Nizam rulers by Indian Union in 1948 Sep 17, as an important occasion in the history, which liberated Hyderabad state people from the tyrannical rule of Nizams and atrocities of Razakars. It was BJP, which first coined the term ‘Liberation Day’. After coming up with the Liberation Day demand, BJP has been observing every year Sep 17 as a Liberation Day. As BJP is growing in popularity in Telangana, this year they are going all out on Sep 17. PM Modi Govt is officially celebrating ‘Liberation Day’ at Parade Grounds in Hyderabad on Sep 17. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is the chief guest. BJP leaders across the state are vocally talking about Liberation Day and creating awareness among people, to make it a big success..