'Hyderabad Liberation Day' not celebrated officially so far due to vote bank politics: Amit Shah
Hyderabad, Sep 17: In a veiled attack on the ruling TRS, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said it is unfortunate that the 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' has not been celebrated officially all these years in Telangana due to "vote bank politics" despite some leaders promising to do so.
He said he would like to congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for deciding to commemorate the day.
Shah was speaking at the Union Government's official celebration of 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' to mark the occasion of erstwhile Hyderabad State under Nizam rule merging with the Indian Union on September 17, 1948.
"...when there was a demand in the region that Hyderabad Liberation Day be celebrated with government endorsement, it is unfortunate that, 75 years are over, but those who were in government here could not dare celebrate Hyderabad Liberation Day due to vote bank politics," he charged.
In an apparent reference to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, he said many people had promised during elections and agitations to commemorate the day but went back on them after coming to power.
"Many people had made promises, during elections and during agitations. But, after coming to power, they turned back due to the fear of 'Razakars' (armed supporters of Nizam rule)," he said.
He congratulated Modi for his decision to officially celebrate the day.
Shah said he is not surprised but happy that everybody now celebrates the day after Modi taking the decision.
"They celebrate the day. But, it is not called 'Hyderabad Liberation Day'. There is still fear in the mind. I would like to tell them that remove that fear. 'Razakars' cannot make decisions in this country. It has been 75 years since this country got independence," he said.
Modi took the decision in deference to the feelings of the people of Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka, he said.
Shah credited the country's first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for the liberation of Hyderabad.
If not for Sardar Patel, it would have probably taken many more years for Hyderabad to get liberated and he knew that as long as Nizam's Razakars could not be defeated, the dream of Akhand Bharat will not be fulfilled, Shah said.
He paid tributes to Komram Bheem, Ramji Gond, Swami Ramanand Tirtha, former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, M Chenna Reddy and many others who fought for freedom.
The intention to celebrate the 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' is to take the story of struggle for liberation to the young generation, he said.
He said research should be carried out in universities on the liberation struggle.
Shah also recalled the atrocities of 'Razakars' during the Nizam rule in the Hyderabad State which included Telangana and some districts of present day Maharashtra and Karnataka.
He said he would like to tell the people of Telangana and also those who cannot call the day as 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' that not paying tributes to the thousands of martyrs amounts to their betrayal.
Union Tourism and Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Karnataka Transport Minister B Sriramulu spoke on the occasion.
While the first Union Home Minister Sardar Patel unfurled the tricolour in Hyderabad on September 17, 1948, the incumbent Shah was doing so after 74 years, Reddy said.
Shinde said he reached Hyderabad from Aurangabad Chatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in Maharashtra.
The chief minister of Maharashtra participates in the 'Mukti Sangram Din' event at Aurangabad Chatrapati Sambhaji Nagar every year and unfurls the National Flag, he said.
Earlier, the Union Home Minister hoisted the National Flag and inspected a parade on the occasion. Various folk arts were also presented on the occasion.
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Marxism will remain relevant despite Left electoral's losses, says general secretary M A Baby
New Delhi (PTI): CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby on Thursday asserted that the Left movement would remain relevant despite not being in power in any state, saying the ideology would continue to endure as long as social and economic inequalities persist.
Hitting back at BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar over his reported remarks that Marxism had become irrelevant, Baby, in an interview with PTI Videos, said, "So long as there is division in society, so long as there is exploitation of the majority of workers, peasants and ordinary masses by a handful of billionaires, Marxism will remain relevant."
"That perhaps Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar may not be able to understand, but this is the fact of the matter," he said.
Baby acknowledged that the CPI(M)-led Left was currently without an elected government in any state, but maintained that electoral setbacks would not diminish the movement's role.
"We may not have an elected government in any state. There were occasions when we didn't have a government. But the red flag and the commitment to organise and struggle for the rights of the dispossessed, marginalised and exploited will always be upheld by CPI(M) and the Left movement," he said.
He said the Left continued to enjoy support among workers, peasants, agricultural labourers, youth, students and women, and argued that the movement remained necessary because "oppression and assault" continued in society.
"So long as such problems exist in society, the red flag and the working class movement will continue to work among the masses," the Left leader said.
Exuding confidence on the Left's revival, Baby said the party would reflect on the reasons behind its electoral loss.
"We may be rejected in one election, but we will stage our comeback by understanding what went wrong with us," he said, adding, "We will listen to people and we will come back with higher strength."
Baby also criticised the Congress over reported factional tensions in Kerala after the Congress-led United Democratic Front's victory in the state.
"The way they are behaving is being watched by the people of Kerala," he said, referring to infighting within the Congress.
"Those who have given a massive majority to Congress and UDF would be watching all this," he added, while urging party leaders to "settle the problem in an amicable, democratic manner".
Referring to West Bengal, Baby alleged that violence had escalated following the BJP's victory in the state assembly polls.
"It is quite unfortunate that the moment BJP snatched a massive victory in West Bengal, violence has also started on a big scale," he said.
He also accused the Trinamool Congress of being "notorious for violent activities" and alleged that the "RSS-controlled BJP" had "unleashed violence in many places" after the election results.
"This is not good for Bengal, not good for the country. We wish and hope that normalcy would be restored as soon as possible," he said.
Baby said the CPI(M) and the Left in West Bengal would continue efforts to "pacify people" and avoid violence and confrontation.
Asked about former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan not reacting publicly to the election results, Baby said Vijayan would respond "at an appropriate time".
