Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Wednesday observed September 17, the day Hyderabad merged with the Indian Union in 1948, as National Integration Day. On the occasion, BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao unfurled the national flag at Telangana Bhavan and urged people to resist what he termed the Congress government’s authoritarian methods.
KTR said Telangana was built on sacrifice and sustained struggle. He recalled that lakhs participated in the armed struggle against the Nizam, with thousands losing their lives. According to him, the martyrs’ sacrifices gave the people freedom and continue to inspire future generations. He paid tributes to them on behalf of KCR and BRS workers.
KTR calls for Telangana: oppose Congress rule and restore welfare
KTR argued that some described the 1948 event as “liberation,” others as “integration,” and a few as “rebellion.” However, he insisted the day marked the transition from monarchy to democracy. In addition, he cited leaders such as Sheikh Bandagi, Doddi Komurayya, A Kamalamma, A Ramachandra Reddy and Ravi Narayan Reddy, stressing that their courage also inspired later phases of the Telangana movement.
He accused the present Congress government of authoritarian tactics, including arrests of protesting students. Moreover, he said the administration had failed to fill Group-1 vacancies and ignored farmers’ distress while focusing on global events like the Olympics. Consequently, he urged citizens to confront such governance in the spirit of the Telangana armed struggle.
KTR pledged that BRS would continue its fight under KCR’s leadership to restore a welfare state. Furthermore, he called for building democratic movements to protect farmers’ rights and to create a society free of authoritarian practices. Finally, he said Telangana must once again become a model of social justice and equality.
