We won't accept Sept 17 as Hyderabad Liberation Day:TRS to BJP

The ruling TRS in Telangana has rejected Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu's suggestion to officially celebrate 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' on September 17 and accused the BJP of trying to indulge in "divisive politics". "Moderate Telangana people do not believe in the Liberation Day. We believe in a day where Telangana state was merged into the Indian union," TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samiti) MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha told PTI here. Naidu had last week said that even though people all over the country celebrated and rejoiced the hard won freedom from British on August 15, 1947, those living in the erstwhile Hyderabad state had to wait for celebration till September 17, 1948, when the region was liberated from the tyrannical Nizam's rule and integrated with the rest of India. "While the BJP has been demanding for the past many years for official celebration of the Liberation of Hyderabad State, it is unfortunate some political parties view even matters relating to the nation's integrity through the prism of vote bank politics," Naidu had said. There should not be any kind of politics, leave alone vote bank politics, when it comes to unity and integrity of the nation, the senior BJP leader had said. "Hyderabad Liberation Day is being celebrated officially on September 17 in some of the districts of Maharashtra and Karnataka and my suggestion to Telangana government is to follow suit. I hope it would respond positively to the suggestion," he said. During the "autocratic" rule of the Nizam, Telugu language was discouraged as the medium of instruction in educational institutions, he had said. Kavitha, the Lok Sabha member from Nizamabad, noted that even during the movement spearheading statehood demand for Telangana, TRS always used to celebrate it as a merger day, and hoist national flag in party office on that day because the "then Andhra government would not recognise this day". "But then the BJP's view of thinking about it as liberation from the Nizam's rule does not have greater acceptance in Telangana society. It will be divisive to talk about that. But as a day of merger with Indian Union, we will certainly acknowledge it and celebrate it," she said, when her reaction was sought on Naidu's suggestion. .

US Open: Rohan Bopanna, Sania Mirza advance to next rounds

Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza have progressed ahead with their respective partners at US Open in season's final Grand Slam. In Mixed Doubles, Bopanna and his Canadian partner Gabriela Dabrowski defeated Polish-Czech duo of Lukasz Kubot and Andrea Hlavackova 5-7, 6-3, 10-7 to move into the quarter-finals. In Women's Doubles, seventh seeded Sania along with her new partner Barbora Strycova of Czech defeated the Swiss-American pair of Viktorija Golubic and Nicole Melichar 6-2, 7-6 to advance in the 3rd round. Meanwhile, defending champions Leander Paes and Martina Hingis bowed out lost to American seventh seeds Coco Vandeweghe and Rajeev Ram in the second round.

Over 200 injured in clashes as MPs' team visits Kashmir

More than 200 people were injured in clashes between stone pelters and security forces in Kashmir today, on a day an all-party parliamentary delegation was here to assess the ground situation in the valley where normal life remained paralysed for 58th consecutive day. There was no curfew in the valley except some areas of Srinagar falling under the Police Stations of Khanyar, Safakadal, Nowhatta, Rainawari and M R Gunj, a police spokesman said. 10 incidents of stone pelting were reported from Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian, Awantipora and Sopore, he said. In Shopian district of south Kashmir, clashes broke out in the morning and continued for most part of the day with protestors setting ablaze the mini-secretariat building which houses the Deputy Commissioner's office, a police official said. "In Shopian, a mob attacked and set ablaze mini secretariat Shopian. The fire was brought under control. However, the structure suffered partial damage," he said. The clashes erupted after police stopped people in Penjoora village of the district from taking out a rally, the official said, adding over 100 people were injured. He said the security forces used baton charge and tear- gas shelling to disperse the protestors. Clashes were also reported from Tral area of Pulwama district where more than 60 people were hurt in action by security forces against the stone pelters. "In Tral, a huge mob pelted stones on the police and security forces. Some of the miscreants, when chased, entered a Ziyarat (shrine) and again started pelting stones from the compound of the Ziyarat," the spokesman said, adding police "cautiously" handled the situation. Protestors also attacked the house of ruling PDP MLA from Tral constituency Mushtaq Ahmad Shah, breaking the window panes of the building. "There were clashes between protestors and security forces in Tral and amidst those clashes, some miscreants attacked the house of Tral legislator Mushtaq Ahmad Shah with stones," a police official said. He said the protestors broke the window panes of the house, but no one was injured. The forces deployed in the area fired several tear-gas canisters and managed to disperse the protestors from the spot, the official said. In Sopore town of north Kashmir's Baramulla district, at least 25 people were hurt in the clashes during the day, the official said. Condition of three of the injured persons is stated to be critical. .

8 injured as scaffolding collapses at construction site

Eight persons, including seven labourers, were injured when a scaffolding erected for construction of a slab roof collapsed in Jubilee Hills area here. According to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials, the incident occurred yesterday when the scaffolding on the duplex residential structure under construction collapsed, resulting in injuries to seven labourers and the owner of the premises. "There was no causality, but seven labourers and the owner suffered minor injuries. Two of them suffered fractures. All were admitted to a hospital and were discharged yesterday itself," they added. An FIR has been registered against the owner of the premises.

Groom who fired in air to celebrate wedding lands in jail

A bridegroom who allegedly fired in the air during his own wedding was today arrested by the city police. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Falaknuma Division) Mohd Abdul Bari said that Mohd Mohsin alias Irfan surrendered before the police and handed over two "dummy" weapons and four bullets. Police lodged a case under the Arms Act today after the incident, which took place on August 22, came to light. "He confessed that he had opened fire in the air from two dummy weapons during the celebration of his nikah on the night of August 22 and the weapons caused only sound and spark," the ACP said. Irfan told police that a film producer had given him the dummy revolver and pistol with some bullets. Local news-channels had aired footage of a bridegroom on horseback firing in the air. "Both the weapons appear to be a dummy. But we are sending the weapons, bullets and the video footage to FSL," said ACP Bari.

Hold talks with all stakeholders in Kashmir' demands Asaduddin Owaisi

Techie found dead in Bowenpally

A 30-year-old software engineer, who had gone missing three days back after returning from Kenya, was today found dead in a deserted area of Bowenpally, police said. According to police, Goutham Reddy's body was found with burn injuries in the bushes. Police had earlier launched a search operation after he went missing from his house. "A local spotted the body in the bushes at the deserted location and informed police. After the verification procedure and showing the body to the family members, the identity of the victim was established," Bowenpally Police Station Inspector K Kiran said, adding that Goutham had worked in Nairobi for seven years. "A case under CrPC section 174 (suspicious death) was registered and the body has been sent for postmortem," he added. Further investigation is on.