Telangana celebrates National Integration Day

Hyderabad, Sep 17: Telangana celebrated National Integration Day on Sunday to mark the anniversary of erstwhile Hyderabad State’s merger with the Indian Union.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao led the official celebrations by hoisting the national flag at the main function held at Public Gardens in Hyderabad.

He also paid tributes to the martyrs at Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial. For a second consecutive year, the state government celebrated September 17 as National Integration Day.

It was on this day in 1948 that then Hyderabad State, comprising Telangana and parts of present day Karnataka and Maharashtra, merged with the Indian Union following India’s military operation codenamed ‘Operation Polo’.

Ministers and officials participated in the National Integration Day celebrations held in all districts.

Hoisting of the national flag, police parade and paying of tributes to the martyrs marked the day.

Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari hoisted the national flag at Telangana State Secretariat. Similar programmes were also held in the Assembly, Legislative Council and at all the government offices.

For the second year in a row, the Union Culture Ministry organised official celebrations in the Telangana capital. However, it celebrated the occasion as Hyderabad Liberation Day.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah hoisted the national tricolor at the Parade Grounds, Secunderabad. A colourful parade and march past by the contingents of paramilitary forces, cultural performances and release of special postal cover on freedom fighter Shoiabullah Khan and Ramjji Gond marked the occasion.

Union Tourism and Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy, Union Home Secretary Ajay K. Bhalla, Culture Secretary Govind Mohan, Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka, CRPF Director General Sujoy Lal Thaosen, and Sashastra Seema Bal Director General Rashmi Shukla were also present.

Kishan Reddy, who is also the state president of BJP, unfurled the national flag at the party office. He paid tributes to the martyrs.

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan also hoisted the national flag at Raj Bhavan to celebrate Hyderabad Liberation Day. In her speech, she recalled the sacrifices made by the freedom fighters.

Ruling party Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) also organised the celebrations on the occasion of National Integration Day. Like last year, Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) also celebrated it as National Integration Day. MIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi led the Tiranga bike rally and addressed a public meeting.