Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Friday extended invitations to four Union ministers to participate in the Telangana Praja Palana Dinotsavam, a state-level event scheduled to take place on September 17. The Chief Minister sent personal letters to Union home minister Amit Shah, Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, G. Kishan Reddy, and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, inviting them to be special guests at the event.The Telangana Praja Palana Dinotsavam, meaning the “Day of People’s Governance,” is observed by the Congress government to mark the merger of the Hyderabad State into the Indian Union, celebrating the establishment of democratic governance. The event will be held at the Public Gardens in Hyderabad, where Revanth Reddy will hoist the national flag. Revanth Reddy’s invitation to key leaders of the BJP assumes considerable political importance, given the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre has, since 2022, been celebrating Hyderabad Liberation Day on September 17. These celebrations, held at the Parade Ground in Secunderabad, have been attended by prominent BJP leaders, including Amit Shah. The simultaneous observance of both the state and central events on September 17 has led to a charged political atmosphere in Telangana. The state government has positioned the Praja Palana Dinotsavam as a celebration of democratic governance, while the Centre calls it “Telangana Liberation Day” emphasising Hyderabad’s accession to India. In his letter to Amit Shah, Revanth Reddy explained the importance of the day, referring to it as a commemoration of the arrival of democracy on Hyderabad’s soil. Similar letters were addressed to Shekhawat, Kishan Reddy and Sanjay. The September 17 observances have taken on an increasingly political tone in recent years, with three parties — the Congress, BJP and the BRS — aiming to shape public perception and historical memory. Revanth Reddy’s outreach to the BJP leaders, particularly those with strong regional influence, is seen as a strategic move to foster dialogue and potentially bridge the ideological gap surrounding the day’s significance. The BRS is observing the day as “National Integration Day”.
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