'Jaya Jaya he Telangana' is state song, no decision yet on state emblem

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday said the state government has approved 'Jaya Jaya he Telangana', penned by noted poet Ande Sri, as the state song.

Amid opposition voiced by BRS and AIMIM to the government's alleged move to remove Charminar and the arch of Kakatiya dynasty from the state emblem, the government also said no final decision has been taken in this regard.

The chief minister said a final decision on the Telangana emblem and Telangana Talli statue will be taken only after discussion in the Assembly so that there is no scope for any misconception or false propaganda.

The state song will be released during the grand celebrations of the state formation day on June 2, according to an official release issued on Thursday night.

Revanth Reddy said the government approved the song, which depicts the struggle for the formation of Telangana, after acceptance of all stakeholders so that the future generations would remember the sacrifices of 'Telangana martyrs' (those who sacrificed their life for the cause of Telangana statehood) and sing the song forever, the statement said.

Ande Sri said the song he wrote 20 years ago has been accepted as state song without any changes. Oscar-winning music director M M Keeravani composed the music and sang the song.

The decision was taken in a meeting held by the chief minister with state Legislative Council Chairman Gutta Sukhender Reddy, Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad, state ministers, Ande Sri, Keeravani, CPI MLA K Sambasivarao, CPI(M) state secretary T Veerabhadram, and professor Kodandaram, who played a key role during statehood agitation, among others.

The state song has been produced in two versions, the release said.

The first version of the song lasts two-and-a-half minutes, while the second version is the full 13-and-a-half-minute rendition, as stated in the release.

The chief minister announced that the shorter version with three stanzas will be played during official programmes and added that both versions would be considered as state songs.

He said the state song was approved in the cabinet meeting, during which a decision was also taken to change the state official emblem and the appearance of 'Telangana Talli' (mother of Telangana) statue.

However, the changes have not been finalised yet, he added.

Reddy said the government received around 500 proposals from artists from across the state, all of which are still under discussion and no design has yet been finalised for the emblem, according to the release.

The chief minister said a final decision has also not been taken regarding the Telangana Talli statue.

The government will take a final decision on the Telangana emblem and Telangana Talli statue only after discussion in the Assembly without giving any scope for any misconceptions and false propaganda, he added.

Earlier in the day, BRS Working President K T Rama Rao demanded that the Congress government withdraw its alleged attempt to remove the Charminar and also the 'Kakatiya arch' from the state emblem.

The AIMIM, too, in a post on 'X' urged the state government to retain Charminar in Telangana's state emblem as it is a symbol of the state's long history of composite culture.