Karnataka: Corporators to celebrate Tipu Jayanti in defiance of government orders?

Bengaluru: The issue of cancelling Tipu Jayanti by BS Yediyurappa days after he took over as chief minister has opened up a Pandora’s box of troubles.

While the CM took this harsh decision based on two letters given by BJP MLAs KG Bopaiah and Roopali S Nayak, the opposition has not taken kindly to it.

Now, a few Bengaluru corporators belonging to the minority community are openly questioning the decision by the state government.

Speaking to a local channel, Abdul Wajid, a ruling party leader in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) said that they don’t need anybody’s permission to celebrate the Jayanti.

“It is a democratic country. We have freedom to celebrate any festival. There is evidence of BS Yediyurappa celebrating Tipu Jayanti. They have said that they will not allow people to celebrate Tipu Jayanti in government offices. There is no need to take anybody’s permission in a democratic country. We will celebrate the Jayanti and see what law they are going to bring in.”

On the other hand, Padmanabha Reddy, the opposition leader in the BBMP said, “BBMP corporators are saying that they will celebrate Tipu Jayanti in the BBMP office. That will not happen. The government has already banned the Jayanti celebrations. They can do it at their homes. There is no provision under the law to celebrate the Jayanti in public.

The government-sponsored celebrations of Tipu were initiated when Siddaramaiah took over as the chief minister of the state. Since then, the celebrations have split the state, with a few vouching for the celebrations while a few saying it is not needed.

The debate over Tipu’s contributions as a freedom fighter rages on. But there is a section of people in the state who feel aggrieved and vexed because they argue that he had killed 10,000 Hindus during his rule.
 

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