We are against traitors who sought to partition the country or merge with Pakistan: Bandi Sanjay

Hyderabad: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, extending the greetings of Telangana Liberation Day to the people of the state on Tuesday.

Addressing the Telangana Liberation Day celebrations at the Secundrabad Parade Grounds organised under the aegis of the Union Culture Ministry, he said, "If the previous rulers had not distorted the history, Telangana Liberation Day would have been celebrated on September 17 just like Independence Day on August 15 and Republic Day on January 26.

Sanjay Kumar refuted the allegations of bias against Muslims, saying, "We are never against Muslims, and all Muslims are not Razakars." The Nizam conspired to separate the Hyderabad State from India and make it a separate country. If that was not possible, then to merge it with Pakistan. “One should not forget that millions of Muslims were brought to Telangana and almost the same number of Hindus were planned to be driven out of the Hyderabad State to get votes if a referendum was insisted upon on the joining the Indian Union,” he added.

Sanjay Kumar thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah who agreed to celebrate the Telangana Liberation Day and Union Minister of Coal and Mines Kishan Reddy for taking the initiative.

The Karimnagar MP said that the Telangana struggle against the Nizam's autocratic rule was not against any class or any party. It was a fight between the patriots and the traitors who wanted partition of the country.

It is a struggle not only for land and livelihoods but to break the shackles of slavery of Telangana people and breathe free air.

Sanjay Kumar said that Telangana has a history of fighting against Nizam's tyrannical rule irrespective of caste, religion and community. Also, "Telangana women showed exemplary courage in revolting and chasing away the Razakars with pestles and chilli powder."

He said that Telangana Liberation Day is to inform today's generation about the struggles, sacrifices and sufferings of the people of Telangana.

Further, during the Telangana movement Osmania University was celebrated with the slogan of 'Jai Telangana". During the struggle against Nizam's dectatorial rule, it was the slogan of ‘Vande Mataram’ that filled the air of Osmania University. He said it was the great leader Sardar Patel who recognised that if Telangana is captive in the hands of Nizam, “it is like cancer in the stomach of mother India.” He ordered Operation Polo and made the Nizam surrender, and 800 years of foreign rule was ended."