Ponnam Prabhakar rejects BJP's claim over national flag on Hyderabad Liberation Day
Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar countered Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy's remarks, saying the national flag belongs to everyone and should not be politicised.
Telangana Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has pushed back against Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy's remarks on the September 17 Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations, stating that the national flag represents the entire country and must not be drawn into political contests.
Mr. Prabhakar said September 17 holds a significant place in Telangana's history and that there was no objection to marking the integration of the erstwhile Hyderabad State with the Indian Union. He, however, cautioned against allowing the occasion to become a source of political division or to be projected as the sole legacy of any single party or ideology.
"The national flag belongs to all the people of the country. It is not the property of any one party," he said.
The Minister noted that the Telangana government had officially hoisted the national flag at all district Collectorates, government offices and government schools on September 17. The Chief Minister and Ministers took part in official flag-hoisting programmes, he said, adding that the Congress also organised events and unfurled the national flag with due respect.
He rejected the BJP's contention that it alone was championing the national flag, describing such a narrative as an attempt to draw political mileage from the occasion.
Mr. Prabhakar said the movements against the Nizam's rule were led by the Congress and Communist parties, and pointed out that the BJP did not exist at the time.
He also called for the history of Hyderabad's integration to be presented alongside the integration histories of other princely States, including Jammu and Kashmir and Junagadh. He questioned why the Centre was not giving similar importance to those regions.
"Why is the national flag being highlighted only in Telangana? Why are Jammu and Kashmir and Junagadh not being commemorated in the same manner?" he asked.
The Minister further questioned the Centre over financial assistance to Telangana, asking how much money had been provided for organising the September 17 programme and what the Union government had done regarding funds due to the State and its development projects.
He said several freedom fighters and families of those who took part in the Telangana armed struggle were still around, and that their sacrifices should be properly recognised by the Centre.