Telangana BJP Ropes in Academics to Push for Official Hyderabad Liberation Day

Telangana’s BJP unit organised a round table discussion in Hyderabad on Wednesday with academics and others, stepping up its campaign for the state government to officially celebrate Hyderabad “Liberation Day” on September 17.

The demand

On September 17, 1948, the former Nizam-ruled state of Hyderabad merged into the Indian Union, and the BJP has long wanted the date marked as Liberation Day.

K Laxman, the state BJP president and chief guest at the event, said the party was drawing up a plan to step up pressure on the TRS government, which he called stubborn, to accept the demand.

Charges against the TRS

Laxman said Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had himself sought official celebrations during the movement for a separate Telangana, and asked why he was no longer interested. “Why does he fear Majlis (AIMIM) so much,” he asked.

The BJP, which has pressed the issue for several years, has often alleged that the Rao government is rejecting it because of vote-bank politics and the influence of the AIMIM, which is friendly to the TRS.

Laxman described the issue as one of Telangana’s self-respect. He said Union Home Minister Amit Shah, whom he praised over the ending of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370, would attend a public meeting the party plans to hold this year. He promised that a BJP government in the state would hold official celebrations.

Background

In the 2018 Telangana assembly election, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi won 88 seats, the Congress 19 and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen 7, and K. Chandrasekhar Rao was Chief Minister after the election.

See also: AIMIM, Bharatiya Janata Party.

Originally published on 29 August 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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