Hyderabad, Sep 17th: The 61st anniversary of Telangana 'Liberation Day' was celebrated on Thursday with various political parties paying rich tributes to the freedom fighters who laid down their lives for the accession of Hyderabad state to India in 1948. Unfurling of the national flag, meetings at the offices of political parties and felicitation of Telangana freedom fighters marked the day, which is not officially celebrated.

At Gandhi Bahavan, the headquarters of Congress party, state president D. Srinivas unfurled the national flag and said the party would continue the policies of late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy for the development of Telangana. Chief Minister K. Rosaiah and Rajya Sabha member K.V.P. Ramachanrda Rao were also present. TRS, which is fighting for separate statehood to Telangana region, celebrated the day in Hyderabad and the remaining nine districts of the region by unfurling the national flag. TRS president K. Chandrasekhara Rao led the celebrations by hoisting the tricolor at the party headquarters Telangana Bhavan here.

KCR, as the TRS chief is popularly known, alleged that some elements were trying to distort Telangana history and this was hurting the sentiments of people of the region. TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu felicitated Telangana freedom fighters at NTR Trust Bhavan, the party headquarters. The BJP and the two communist parties paid rich tributes to the martyrs of Telangana at the memorial in front of the state assembly building. PRP president K. Chiranjeevi said his party alone could fulfill the dreams of the freedom fighters by ensuring social justice.