Karnataka Tipu flex controversy: 7 booked, 4 accused held

The Bangalore police registered an FIR against seven right-wing Hindutva workers and arrested four including Puneet Kerehalli who tore down the hoardings of Tipu Sultan in Hudson Circle accusing him of not being a freedom fighter.

The video went viral on social media where an angry Kerehalli referred to a 2016 observation of the Karnataka high court and said that the former ruler of Mysore was a monarch and not a freedom fighter

“We had seen this poster in the morning but we didn’t do anything because it was the occasion of Independence and we did not want to create any chaos. But in Shimoga Veer Savarkar’s poster was damaged. So why should we allow his (Tipu Sultan’s) poster here,” Kerehalli said.

The hoardings were put up by workers of the Indian National Congress (INC) Karnataka on the occasion of the 75th year of India’s Independence.

Puneet Kerehalli is a Bengaluru-based right-winged activist. He frequently uploads hate speech videos.