Vice President Radhakrishnan’s Key Remarks on Operation Polo

Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan described the integration of the erstwhile Hyderabad State into the Indian Union as a decisive chapter in India’s nation building journey. He attended the Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations as the chief guest at the Parade Ground in Secunderabad on September 17. Recalling Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s role in integrating the princely states, he said Operation Polo was part of the events that led to the integration of Hyderabad. Radhakrishnan also paid tribute at the War Memorial and highlighted the participation of students, intellectuals, writers, social workers, farmers and ordinary citizens in the Hyderabad struggle.

Radhakrishnan said national integration must be accompanied by constitutional democracy, with equal rights, dignity and opportunities for every citizen. Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla said Hyderabad Liberation Day is not only an occasion to remember a historic chapter but also a reminder of the values of unity, integrity and democracy. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and MP Etala Rajender were among those present at the event. Meanwhile, Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy criticised Chief Minister Revanth Reddy over his remarks on the Nizam and questioned why figures such as Komaram Bheem and Chakali Ilamma had rebelled if the Nizam’s rule was as good as portrayed. These were Kishan Reddy’s political allegations and criticism.