The Telangana BJP celebrates Hyderabad Liberation Day on September 17 every year

Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy today expressed his gratitude to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on Hyderabad "Liberation Day", saying the freedom fighter "prevented another Kashmir-like situation" by liberating it from the Nizams.

September 17 marks the merger of the erstwhile Hyderabad state with the Indian Union in 1948.

The minister, in a series of tweets, paid tributes to Patel and homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the "liberation" of Hyderabad state.

"17th September 1948 was the day when the forces of the Indian Union gained control over the Hyderabad state and liberated it from the clutches of the tyrannical rule of the Nizams and the inhumane treatment of our people by the Razakars," Mr Reddy said in one of the tweets.

He said the people of Hyderabad region "attained independence" on this day, nearly 13 months after India's Independence.

"We are grateful to #SardarPatel & his #OperationPolo for ensuring Hyd's successful accession into the Indian Union, thereby preventing another #Kashmir like situation," the minister said.

"On this historic day, I pay tributes to Shri Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and pay homage to the martyrs who laid their lives for the liberation of Hyderabad state," he added.

Mr Reddy on September 8 demanded that the Telangana government officially celebrate September 17 as Hyderabad "Liberation Day", a long-standing demand of the state BJP.

The BJP has often alleged that the Chandrashekar Rao government did was not accept the demand because of "vote-bank politics" and AIMIM, a friendly party of Rao's TRS.

The Telangana BJP celebrates Hyderabad Liberation Day on September 17 every year and unfurls the national flag across the state.