“Who was liberated and from whom..?” asked MBT Spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan in a media statement on Monday. He advised the BJP leaders to first study the real history of Hyderabad before coming up with baseless theories and contentions. “Hyderabad-Deccan was ruled by Qutub Shahis, Moghals and then Asaf Jahi kings and not a single ruler was outsider. All of them were born and brought up in India. Hyderabad was among hundreds of other princely States which were independent till August 1947. This was the last State to merge with the Indian Union. When Hyderabad was already a part of India since centuries, then who got liberated on September 17, 1948,” he said.

Amjed Ullah Khan said BJP leaders should also admit of massacre of Muslims from 14th to 17th September, 1948. While the entire Muslim community was projected in a bad light in the name of fictitious “Razakars”, the communal and RSS-minded historians never wrote a single line on atrocities committed on Muslims during “Police Action”. Pandit Sundar Lal Committee, which visited the Marathwada, Bidar and Gulbarga during November-December 1948, not only confirmed the massacre but gave a detailed account of how Muslims were looted, raped and butchered. No government, either at the Centre or State, have ever expressed regret or apologised for the massacre, he said.

Khan said “Muslim families, who lived in border districts of Hyderabad State, have lost their relatives, properties and honour in the “Police Action”. They migrated to Hyderabad and lived in refugee camps. Those employed with Nizam Government were removed from services for no reasons. According to a survey done in 1962, almost 28 per cent of Muslim rickshaw-pullers in Hyderabad were former employees of the Nizam government and 10 per cent were skilled workers who had lost their jobs during the 1950s,” Amjed Ullah Khan said while demanding that the BJP leaders should also accept these realities when they talk about “Liberation Day”.

“Hyderabad was always a part of India, irrespective of Qutub Shahi, Moghal or Asaf Jahi Rule. Therefore, like rest of India, our Independence Day falls on 15th of August. Due to their communal mindset, BJP might celebrate the end of rule by a Muslim king. But as Indians, we will go along with rest of the country and therefore, we cannot agree on having two “Independence Days” for one country,” he said.

Amjed Ullah Khan further said that the “Hyderabad Liberation Struggle” was nothing but a myth created by self-proclaimed “freedom fighters”. There might be a few genuine freedom fighters who really fought against the Nizam’s rule, but the rest were criminals who took advantage of arrival of Indian Army and killed Muslims men, women and children. Even Sardar Patel refused to accept a majority of them as genuine freedom fighters. Almost after 25 years, in 1985, the then chief minister P V Narasimha Rao, convinced Prime Minister Smt Indira Gandhi to acknowledge those killers as freedom fighters. Almost 11,000 ‘Freedom Fighters’ were recognised at different times. The UPA-I Government again refreshed the wounds in 2005. On 13 January 2005, the central government announced pension for more than 4,500 ‘freedom fighters’ of the so-called “Hyderabad Liberation Struggle”. (INN)

The HC admitted the petition filed by two private firms- Aditya Constructions and NVN Engineers challenging the government’s decision to adopt the Swiss Challenge model. Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao directed the state government to file its response and adjourned the hearing till October 31.

Under the Swiss Challenge model, the government or its agency invites a developer to present a bid. Other prospective developers are then asked to offer counter bids. If their bid is lower, the first bidder is asked to submit a fresh bid. If the first bidder comes up with lower bid, it gets the project, and if it fails, the one with lower bid wins the projects

Opposition parties have alleged that there were several irregularities in Swiss Challenge model. YSR Congress sited that the Vijay Kelkar panel had submitted a report to the Centre in 2015 saying that the Swiss Challenge method was unscientific.

Kelkar panel rejected the ‘Swiss Challenge’ model, saying that unsolicited proposals may be actively discouraged as they lack in transparency,” YSRC leader Botsa Satyanarayana said. (INN)

“Bakrid symbolizes sacrifice, absolute devotion to God and compassion for the poor. It also emphasises the principle of sharing what one has with others. Let this spirit of charity and goodwill towards all be cherished and nourished.” the Governor said in his message. (INN)

The Chief Minister is said to have informed the Governor about the Centre’s announcement of financial package for the state and the protests by Opposition parties and people against the Centre’s refusal to accord special status to AP. He also informed the Governor the intention of the government to conduct next Assembly session in Vijayawada, sources informed.

Naidu’s visit to the Governor also holds significance in the backdrop of talks doing rounds that the state Cabinet will expand very soon. (INN)

Speaking to media persons, Pulla Rao said that TDP government introduced novel concepts in the farm sector to help drought-hit farmers to save their crops. The minister lamented that it was unfortunate that the opposition parties were criticizing the government over the supply of rain guns to farmers. He accused the opposition of misleading the people through their illogical statements on the issue. Rain guns are efficient method to tackle the droughts, the minister added.

Pulla Rao said that the state government has supplied as many as 6,442 rain guns as of now and reiterated that the TD government would extend all sorts of help to the farmers to tide-over the drought conditions in the state.

The minster expressed concerns over the manner in which YSRCP members created ruckus in the state Assembly saying that the YSRCP insulted the temple of democracy through their unruly behavior. (INN)

KCR spoke to Chief Secretary Dr. Rajiv Sharma and Revenue Department Special Chief Secretary Pradeep Chandra and directed them to keep the entire official machinery in Hyderabad and all districts on alert. He also spoke to GHMC Commissioner Dr. B. Janardhan Reddy and Hyderabad Police Commission Mahender Reddy over phone and advised them to take all precautionary measures. The Chief Minister was told that a control room with the number 040-23454088 has already been set up.

The Chief Minister asked officials to shift people from low lying areas to safer places.

On the directions of Chief Minister, Pradeep Chandra convened the meeting of District Disaster Management Authority and directed all District Collectors and SPs to take precautionary measures to minimise the damages due to heavy rains.

Meanwhile, all departments, including Energy Department, have geared up to meet any eventuality. (INN)

The Chief Minister said in his message that the holy ‘‘Bakrid’’ festival is observed as a festival of sacrifice. (INN)

“TRS Government is destroying the livelihood of farmers, land tenants, agriculture labor, artisans etc., and suppressing their fundamental rights. The State Government, which is supposed to be the custodian of the Indian constitution, has unfortunately become the violator of the Constitution and thereby the farmers, land tenants, agriculture labor and artisans have become most helpless and vulnerable. And their very survival is endangered,” said TPCC President N. Uttam Kumar Reddy in his petition to the Governor.

The TPCC chief said that the State Government was acquiring lakhs of acres of land in the name of different development project while displacing lakhs of lakhs of farmers, land tenants, agriculture labour, artisans and several other dependents on the village economy. A sizeable population belongs to SC and ST communities. “While development is necessary, it is the fundamental responsibility of the government to protect the basic rights of people who are affected due to these projects. It is mandatory on the part of the Government of Telangana to administer the Resettlement and Rehabilitation program by implementing RTFCATLARR Act -2013, protecting their basic rights and livelihood,” he said while alleging that the State Government has arbitrarily brought in GO MS.123 and is scuttling their statutory rights and destroying their livelihoods.

Uttam Kumar Reddy disputed the claims of TRS Government that GO MS 123 was only to enable the “willing sale by farmers and procurement by government”. He alleged that the government was literally bulldozing and blackmailing the farmers to sell their lands. “The Government has become a land dealer or broker in the name of GO MS 123. It maliciously came up with GO MS 214 and deliberately removed the provisions of R&R from the original GO MS 123. This is a clear reflection of the cruelty of the ruling government towards farmers,” he said.

The TPCC President said that the present form of GO MS 123 does not cater to provide any social security and facilitate resettlement and rehabilitation to the project-affected population. He said that the government was pressurizing the farmers to sell their lands and using most coercive and unconstitutional methods using local police and revenue officials. In the villages that are likely to be submerged under proposed Mallanna Sagar project, the State Government has unleashed the unlawful terror deploying the police forces in the project-affected villages and threatening the villagers to give away their lands to government.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also reminded that affected farmers were brutally lathicharged when they held a protest on 24th July. As many 163 farmers, including women, were injured in the incident. No action was taken against DSP Sridhar Goud, who ordered illegal firing and lathi-charge against the farmers. The same DSP was spared although one Sub-Inspector Ramakrishna Reddy, in his suicide note, held him responsible for his death.

Condemning imposition of Section 144 in those villages, the TPCC President accused TRS Government of creating ‘Kashmir like situation’ to terrorise the villagers by doing flag-marches by fully armed policemen. He said even the orders of High Court were being violated without any fear. “This is a clear-cut case of abuse of power by the Government of Telangana,” he said.

Listing out several provisions of Land Acquisition Act, 2013, which are being violated by the TRS Government, Uttam Kumar Reddy sought the Governor’s intervention to protect the basic rights of affected population. “We request the Honorable Governor to direct the Government of Telangana to ensure that RTFCATLARR-2013 Act is implemented so that land owners, Tenants, landless laborers get the R&R and social security benefits appropriately,” he urged the Governor.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also appealed to the Governor to direct the State Government to immediately lift the Section 144 in the project affected villages and withdraw false cases against the villagers.

Speaking to media persons later, the TPCC President said that the Governor has assured to seek explanation from the State Government and the DGP on the issues raised by the Congress party.

The TPCC delegation comprised of Leader of Opposition in Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir, ex-PCC chief Ponnala Lakshmaiah, ex-Dy CM Damodar Rajanarasimha, MLA T. Jeevan Reddy, former minister Sunitha Lakshma Reddy, TPCC Vice-President Mallu Ravi and other senior leaders. (INN)