During the peak of the Telangana movement, Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao used to make a vociferous demand for official celebration of September 17 as the Hyderabad Liberation Day or Hyderabad Merger Day.
But after he became the chief minister of Telangana state formed in June 2014, KCR completely forgot the demand and ignored it completely when it was raised by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress and the Communists.
When the opposition parties made an attempt to organise rallies, meetings and celebrations in a big way on September 17 every year till 2018, the KCR government used to deny permissions, impose restrictions and order lathi-charges on those who violated the orders. There were even forceful detention of those who wished to raise the national flag.
But this year, KCR completely changed his stand. Though he sought to downplay the significance of September 17 in Telangana history, he gave up his confrontationist approach and openly declared that anyone can celebrate the day.
He even allowed all permissions for rallies and meetings across the state.
Why this sudden change in KCR’s stand?
BJP leaders claim that it was because of their pressure from the Centre and also within the state that the TRS chief was forced to acknowledge the importance of the day.
BJP spokesman K Krishna Sagar Rao said his party had forced the chief minister to accept the public opinion that September 17 signified the Telangana self-respect.
“KCR is now in his weakest position ever, and he understands it. He is in no position to afford confrontation with BJP on this issue,” Rao said.
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