BENGALURU: Following the fall of the Congress-JD(S) government, the newly appointed (BJP)-led Karnataka government has said there is nothing official to celebrate Tipu Jayanti.
The Yediyurappa-led BJPgovernment order the State Kannada and Culture Department against celebrating Tipu Jayanti that take place on November 10 every year.
The Order to this effect was issued on Tuesday. The decision was taken on July 29 after the Cabinet meet based on the request made by BJP MLA KG Bopaiah.
The state-wide celebration of the birth anniversary of 18th-century erstwhile ruler of Mysuru Kingdom Tipu Sultan was first initiated in 2015 by the Congress government led by CM Siddaramaiah to honour him as a patriot and for his yeoman service to the people in the southern region.
Protest Over Celebration
Over the past four years, BJP and other right wing organisations protested against the celebration with the agitations often turning violent.
BJP and the RSS consider him a tyrant monarch and claim that the ruler was “against Kannada language and anti-Hindu” and thus flay the state government for celebrating his birth anniversary or Tipu Jayanti.
However, celebrating Tipu’s birth anniversary was the coalition government’s way of appeasing the Muslim community, state BJP chief and former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had said in 2015.
The eldest son of Sultan Hyder Ali, Tipu (1750-1799) is also hailed as the “Tiger of Mysore” for fighting the British East India Company’s advances and protecting his kingdom.
Tipu was killed in a battle with the British army in 1799 while defending his fort at Srirangapatna near Mysuru, about 120km from here.