‘It’s An Insult To Muslims’: Senior Congress Leader Slams Karnataka CM For Not Attending Tipu Jayanti Celebrations

Senior Congress MLA and former minister Tanveer Sait has criticised Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and his deputy for skipping the state-sponsored Tipu Jayanti celebrations and termed it as an insult to the Muslim community, Daji World has reported.

Sait was quoted as saying that this was the first Tipu Jayanti of the new Congress-JD(S) coalition government. Kumaraswamy decided not to take part in the programmes following doctor's orders.

The deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, on the other hand, is on a foreign tour. Sait said that there was no doubt about it coming across as an insult to the community.

Sait was further quoted as saying that, “If two people go on a motorcycle, police stop them and ask them to go alone on the bike. What is the reason behind restricting everything during Tipu Jayanti? Everyone has freedom in a democracy. What was the reason to create so much confusion in the name of Tipu Jayanti?

He added that "If Kumaraswamy has respect for our community, he should attend Tipu Jayanti. We received information that he is near H D Kote. Tipu Jayanti is being observed there also. Let him attend the event there".

As per Sait, members of the Muslim community have never appealed to the state government to celebrate Tipu Jayanti.

Sait also appealed to Higher Education Minister G T Devegowda to establish the Tipu Sultan chair in the University of Mysore for research and to publish an objective history of Tipu Sultan.

It is believed that many Congress leaders, especially those from the Muslim community, are furious with Kumaraswamy and his deputy for giving the event a miss.

Incidentally, the Chief Minister's office had earlier announced his inability to attend the function and his name too was not printed in the invitations.