HYDERABAD: The Central government has determined to officially celebrate Telangana Liberation Day on September 17 with a mega event in Hyderabad.

The Ministry of Culture will organize the mega programme at Parade Grounds.  Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to address a parade on the day to celebrate Hyderabad State's accession to India in 1948. The chief ministers of Telangana, Karnataka, and Maharashtra have been invited to the program, said the Union Minister of Culture and Tourism G. Kishan Reddy. The former Hyderabad State included Telangana and a few current Karnataka and Maharashtra districts.

As part of the 75th anniversary of India's independence, events will be held during the course of the following year, said Kishan Reddy, a Lok Sabha representative from Secunderabad. He urged the chief ministers of the three states to both attend the event on September 17 and oversee the organisation of the yearlong festivities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other key leaders would be consulted before the program's specifics are revealed, said the minister.

Along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde or Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is likely to participate the event. K. Chandrasekhar Rao, the chief minister of Telangana, is most likely to abstain.

The BJP has long demanded that September 17 be recognised by the Telangana government as Telangana Liberation Day each year. But like other non-BJP parties, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) observes September 17 as Telangana Merger Day.

Telangana Rashtriya Samiti is not in favour of official celebrations in view of the objections from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and others, who dispute that there is no need for separate celebrations in Telangana as there is only one independence day for the entire country.

BJP leaders have been alleging that Telangana Rashtriya Samiti is not officially celebrating the day due to pressure from AIMIM.

Telangana: Suspended MRO dies under suspicious circumstances

KCR Meet Nitish Kumar for United Oppn Front, 2024 Lok Sabha Poll focus

KTR unveils theme of 20th edition of BioAsia in Hyderabad