Tipu Jayanti  

Security has been deployed across Karnataka from Friday to ensure peaceful celebration of the state government-sponsored Tipu Jayanti amid protests by the right-wing opposition.

Despite strong opposition from BJP and other activists, the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka is all set to celebrate Tipu Jayanti on November 10.

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and former PM HD Deve Gowda have decided to distance themselves from Tipu Jayanti event. They will not be attending the programme being held in Vidhana Soudha. Are the two leaders trying to avoid controversy?
 

The BJP supporters on Friday, held a protest against the celebration of Tipu Jayanti in Bengaluru's Mysore Bank circle. The Tipu event is scheduled for November 10.

Tipu was anti-Kannada. He had administered Persian language as the official language. If Tipu jayanti is celebrated in Kannada Bhavan, it is an insult to the Kannada language. If the government dares, let them arrest us, said BJP leader R Ashoka.

 

Tipu ruled Mysuru province till May 1799, when he died in the hands of British while trying to defend his fort of Srirangapatna. Tipu is addressed as religious bigot, fanatic and anti-Kannada by pro-Hindu groups.

'Tipu was anti-Hindu and the government should not celebrate Tipu Jayanti by using taxpayers' money,' said activist Patapat Srinivas.