Will disclose history of Tipu if my name is printed on invitation: Ananth Kumar
Bengaluru: Union minister of state for Skill Development and Uttara Kannada MP Ananth Kumar Hegde on Saturday warned chief minister Siddaramaiah against printing his name in ‘Tipu Jayanthi’ invitation and said that he would disclose the complete details of the ruler on the stage. He was talking to the media person in Sirsi.
Hegde said, “This year also I have asked chief minister to not to print my name in Tipu Jayanti celebration. If they still go ahead in printing my name by citing protocol, I would attend the event and shout slogan against the ruler on the stage. I will disclose the bad history of Tipu in front of Siddaramaiah only. I would dare him to stop me if he can.”
Along with Anant Kumar Hegde, few other BJP leaders have also demanded not to print their name in the invitation.
Keep me out of Tipu Jayanti, union minister tells Karnataka
Bengaluru, Oct 21 (IANS) Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde has asked the Karnataka government to keep him out of the state’s Tipu Jayanti celebrations, calling the erstwhile Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan a “brutal killer, wretched fanatic and mass rapist”.
“Conveyed (to) Karnataka government not to invite me to shameful event of glorifying a person known as brutal killer, wretched fanatic and mass rapist,” Hegde tweeted.
Hegde had also written an official letter to the state asking not to include his name for the event.
The Karnataka government, headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has planned to celebrate the erstwhile ruler’s birth anniversary on November 10.
The ruling Congress began celebrating Tipu Sultan’s birth anniversary since 2015, which led to violent protests by the right-wing organisations in the Mysore region and other parts of the state.
Reacting to Hegde’s statement, Siddaramaiah told reporters here that the event was being given a “political” colour.
“It is being made into a political issue. Four wars were fought against the British and Tipu fought all of them,” he said.
The invitation to the Union Minister was extended only as part of the “protocol”, the Chief Minister added.
“It was only as part of the protocol that he (Hegde) was invited. The invitation is extended to all central and state leaders as part of the protocol. It is up to them whether to attend or not,” Siddaramaiah said.
An official from the Chief Minister’s Office told IANS: “Since Tipu Jayanti is being celebrated as a state event, the protocol demands that the Union Ministers from the state and other central government ministers be invited.”
The letters to all ministers were sent out in advance and it was their discretion whether or not to be a part of the event, the official added.
On the other hand, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker from the state Pralhad Joshi has alleged that Tipu Sultan was “anti-Hindu, anti-Kannada and exploited India”.
“The state should not be using public money for the celebrations. Karnataka government is playing vote bank politics to appease Muslims in the state ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections,” alleged another BJP lawmaker Shobha Karandlaje.
Known as the “Tiger of Mysore”, Tipu Sultan ruled the Mysore kingdom from 1782-1799 succeeding his father Hyder Ali.
Though Tipu Sultan was born in 1750 at Devanahalli on the outskirts of Bengaluru, his kingdom’s capital was at Srirangapatna near Mysore.
Tipu is responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Catholic Christians from the coastal area. God only knows how many his troops raped and abused. His soldiers cut off the nose and ears if they suspected anyone. These are all very well documented by people who lived during the same era. He made Persian language the ‘official language’ and promoted Urdu over native languages. The official documents and communications captured by British historians right after fall of Sri Rangapattana show that he appointed only Muslims to key positions throughout his administration.
I am not against celebrating Tipu Jayanti as he is also part of Karnataka’s history. But, please don’t try to hide the truth. This is a new era with information available to everyone. The ‘vote bank’ politics is in the deathbed.