Republic Day held at Raj Bhavan in Telangana on court orders; KCR, ministers skip event

The Telangana government organised the Republic Day at the Raj Bhavan on a direction by the High Cou

The Telangana government organised the Republic Day at the Raj Bhavan on a direction by the High Court to observe the event at any cost with Central guidelines.

The government did not want to celebrate the occasion for the third consecutive year at the sprawling Parade ground in Hyderabad citing Covid safeguards.

An activist and businessman from Hyderabad K. Srinivas had moved a lunch motion in the High Court on January 25 seeking instruction to the government to conduct the celebrations in “it’s true spirit and fervour”. Disposing of the case, the court ordered the government to hold the celebration wherever it wanted but insisted on the conduct of traditional parade and Standard Operating Procedures laid down by the Ministry of Defence.

The government at the last hour made brisk arrangements at Raj Bhavan and went ahead with the programme in the presence of the Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari, Director General of Police Anjani Kumar and other senior bureaucrats.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his Cabinet colleagues did not participate like in the last two years.

In her address, the Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who nursed serious differences with the Chief Minister, indirectly criticised Mr. Rao saying some people did not like her but she will go on with her programmes. She said she was not merely the Governor of the State for the past three years but developed a bondage with the State since her birth. She said she like the people of Telangana a lot.

Ms. Soundararajan also she will play her role in the development of the State, no matter the obstacles she might have to face. She gave a call to the people to protect democracy and Constitution in Telangana, uphold the State’s dignity and honour.