Telangana: Centre’s discrimination evident even in its Liberation Day celebrations

This year is the 75th anniversary of Hyderabad’s annexation into the Indian Union, but the BJP-led government at the Centre has not sanctioned any special funds to celebrate the event

Hyderabad: The BJP, which has been making tall claims about its commitment towards the people of Telangana and trying to reignite the Telangana sentiment by celebrating September 17 marking the annexation of erstwhile Hyderabad State with the Indian union, calling it Hyderabad Liberation Day, is showing its true colours even while celebrating the event.

This year is the 75th anniversary of Hyderabad’s annexation into the Indian Union, but the BJP-led government at the Centre has not sanctioned any special funds to celebrate the event. Though the State is celebrating the day on its own, observing it as National Integration Day, the fact that the Centre is discriminating towards Telangana is evident from the fact that it allocated Rs 300 crore to the BJP-ruled Goa for celebrating the 60th anniversary of the liberation from Portuguese in 2021. This clearly shows the attitude of the Centre towards non-BJP ruled States.

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Even last year when the Centre officially celebrated the day in Hyderabad, it did not allocate any special funds for the event. In fact, the event looked more like a BJP event rather than an official programme. union Home Minister Amit Shah, who attended the event at Secunderabad Parade Grounds, utilised the occasion for political purposes and did not announce any scheme or programme for the people of Telangana.

This year too, Shah has been invited to take part in a programme at the same venue. In fact, several BJP State leaders are questioning the purpose of the Centre’s official celebration of the event when it is not offering anything for the people of Telangana.

Many leaders feel that the party was using the platform to target the AIMIM. “What are we going to achieve by targeting the Majlis. The party needs to utilise the occasion to speak to the people of Telangana and not the Majlis,” a BJP leader said.