Daijiworld Media Network - Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Sep 6: Police in Hyderabad on Sunday foiled an attempt by the BJP to take out a rally from Balapur to the Bhagyalakshmi Temple at Charminar ahead of Telangana Liberation Day, prompting angry protests from the party.

BJP in-charge of the Maheswaram constituency Andela Sriramulu Yadav and other party leaders were detained when they attempted to take out the **‘Vimochana Jaitrayatra’**.

The BJP condemned the denial of permission for the rally and accused the Congress government of suppressing democratic and patriotic activities.

“The fact that the Congress government denied permission for a rally from Balapur to the Charminar Bhagyalakshmi Temple on the occasion of Telangana Liberation Day clearly demonstrates how much it fears democracy and the spirit of patriotism,” the Telangana BJP said in a social media post.

“Having imposed restrictions on ‘Vande Mataram’, the Congress party is now obstructing even the celebrations meant to honour the spirit of independence,” it added.

### BJP president attacks Congress

Telangana BJP President N Ramchander Rao questioned whether celebrating Telangana Liberation Day was a crime in Congress-ruled Telangana.

“Having sunk to deep depths of appeasement, Congress Party has once again crushed democracy by stopping the Vimochana Jaitrayatra from Balapur to Charminar and arresting Maheshwaram BJP in-charge,” he said.

“Why is Congress so afraid of celebrating Telangana Liberation Day? We may have moved far beyond 1948, but Congress mindset is still Razakar and Nizam DNA,” Rao posted on X.

He further alleged that BJP leaders were being stopped, detained and arrested for activities ranging from protests and dharnas to celebrating Telangana Liberation Day.

The BJP is preparing to observe **Telangana Liberation Day on September 17**, marking the day in 1948 when the erstwhile Hyderabad State was annexed into the Indian Union.

### Centre, state to hold separate events

For the fifth consecutive year, the Centre will organise Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad.

Vice President C P Radhakrishnan will be the chief guest at this year’s event. He will hoist the National Flag and review a parade by the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).

Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and other dignitaries are expected to attend.

The Centre and Telangana government will observe the occasion under different themes.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will unfurl the National Flag at the main state event at the Public Garden in Hyderabad.

For the third consecutive year, the state government will observe the occasion as **‘Telangana Praja Palana Dinotsavam’ (People’s Governance Day)**.

State ministers, government advisers and other key representatives will hoist the National Flag and take the salute at official programmes in all **32 district headquarters**.

The National Flag will also be unfurled at government offices, urban local bodies and gram panchayats across the state.

The earlier Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government had observed September 17 as **‘National Integration Day’** in 2022 and 2023.

The Congress government, which came to power in December 2023, subsequently decided to observe the occasion as **‘Praja Palana Dinotsavam’**.