AIMIM organises Tiranga rally on eve of September 17

Hyderabad, Sep 16 (IANS) For the first time in its history, the AIMIM organised celebrations to mark Hyderabad State's integration with the Indian Union.

The party organised a massive 'Tiranga' bike rally in the old city of Hyderabad on the eve of September 17.

Led by AIMIM President and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, hundreds of people participated in the rally from Eidgah Mir Alam to Teegal Kunat crossroads.

Owaisi later hoisted the national flag and addressed the gathering. Party's MLAs, corporators, other leaders, and workers participated in the rally.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has called for celebrating September 17 as national integration day.

Owaisi, in his speech, hit back at the RSS and the BJP, which call his AIMIM as the party of 'razakars', or the supporters of Nizam who were opposed to Hyderabad State's accession to the Indian Union. He reiterated that 'razakars' left the country and those who were loyal to the country chose to live here. "Razakars have gone to Pakistan, wafadars (loyalists) have remained in India," he said.

"We do not need a loyalty certificate from the RSS and the BJP as both were not there in India's first freedom struggle in 1857 and at the time of Hyderabad's integration with India," he said.

Owaisi also made it clear that he was not an inheritor of Qasim Razvi, who had migrated to Pakistan after Hyderabad's accession to India.

Razvi was president of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) and he wanted Hyderabad State to be merged with Pakistan. MIM was banned after Hyderabad State acceded to India following India's military action aOperation Polo'.

"This is Abdul Wahid Owaisi's party which has always had an unwavering belief in the Constitution of India," he said.

Abdul Wahid Owaisi was Asaduddin Owaisi's grandfather, who revived MIM with a new constitution.

MIM was originally founded in 1927 to promote the socio-economic and educational development of Muslims.

Owaisi said old wounds should not be re-opened. He quoted Sunderlal Commission's report which revealed that 40,000 people were killed in the 'Police Action' as Operation Polo was popularly called.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government is also celebrating September 17 this year as national unity day. The three-day celebrations began across the state on Friday with massive rallies and processions led by ministers, MPs and other leaders.

The national unity day celebrations by the TRS and the AIMIM are seen as counter to Hyderabad Liberation Day being celebrated by the BJP.

The Union Culture Ministry is organiszing a parade in Hyderabad on Saturday, which will be addressed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Taking exception to the use of word liberation, the AIMIM and the TRS have decided to organise the celebrations as national unity or national integration day.