Political and government leaders converged on Hyderabad on 4 July to mark a series of commemorative events. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flew into the city to attend celebrations of the 128th birth anniversary of freedom-fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju, who led the Rampa Rebellion against British rule and is revered for championing tribal rights. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also arrived in Hyderabad for a packed schedule. He chaired a Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee political-affairs meeting at Gandhi Bhavan before unveiling a statue of former unified Andhra Pradesh chief minister K. Rosaiah at Lakdikapool, joined by Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka and other state leaders. The overlapping programmes drew large crowds, heavy police deployment around party offices and an array of banners—both welcoming and criticising the Congress leadership—underscoring the heightened political activity in Telangana ahead of the party’s public rally at LB Stadium on Friday.