AIMIM to hold bike rally, public meeting on National Integration Day

Hyderabad: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday said the party will organise a public meeting at Teegalaguda in Hyderabad and a bike rally on National Integration Day on 17 September.

"We will do the namaz and all our party MLAs, corporators, etc. will be present. From there, we will take a motorcycle rally, a Tiranga rally and will go till Teegalaguda. We will have a public meeting at Teegalaguda thereafter," said Owaisi.

He added, "It is the day when Hyderabad got integrated with the rest of India. So, we will celebrate it and also, we will take part in the celebration programmes organised by the Telangana government."

Earlier, the AIMIM chief had written to the Centre requesting it to call Hyderabad Liberation Day as National Integration Day.

TRS, BJP, AIMIM and Congress are in a combative mood and are eagerly gearing up for 17 September to hold celebrations and spread their own message.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announced that there will be celebrations for three days to mark the 75th liberation day. The TRS has also made it clear that it will observe the day as National Integration Day. The celebrations will include the hoisting of the national flag at the state, district, and manda levels. KCR will hoist the national flag at the Public Gardens in Hyderabad. Mass rallies and a cultural programme is also planned on 18 September.

BJP on the other hand has announced a year-long celebration. Union Home minister Amit Shah will kickstart the celebrations on 17 September in Hyderabad. The Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Maharashtra have been invited to Hyderabad for the event.

Congress has also decided to hold a year-long celebration to mark Hyderabad's merger with the Union of India.

Hyderabad joined the rest of India on 17 September 1948 following the annexation of Hyderabad into India using force through a military operation by the Indian armed forces known as Operation Polo.