Hyderabad, March 13 (IANS): The Union government has decided to celebrate September 17 every year as "Hyderabad Liberation Day", said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a statement.

The MHA on Tuesday issued a gazette notification in this regard.

It said that Hyderabad did not get freedom for 13 months after India's independence on August 15, 1947, and was under Nizam's rule.

"The region got liberated from Nizam's rule on September 17, 1948, after police action namely 'Operation Polo'. Whereas, there has been a demand from the people of the region that September 17 may be celebrated as "Hyderabad Liberation Day". Now, in order to remember martyrs who liberated Hyderabad and to infuse the flame of patriotism in the minds of the youth, the Government of India has decided to celebrate September 17 every year as "Hyderabad Liberation Day"," reads the notification.

The BJP has long been demanding the official celebration of September 17 as "Hyderabad Liberation Day".

Addressing BJP workers in Hyderabad on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had criticised Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) for not celebrating Hyderabad Liberation.

For the last two years, the Union Ministry of Culture had been organising the celebrations in Hyderabad on September 17 to mark the anniversary of erstwhile Hyderabad state's accession to the Indian Union.

On both the occasions, Amit Shah hoisted the national flag and reviewed the parade by contingents of paramilitary forces in Hyderabad.

He said it was unfortunate that even after the formation of Telangana, political parties were reluctant to celebrate "Hyderabad Liberation Day" due to votebank politics.

The previous BRS government celebrated September 17 as "National Integration Day".