Tipu, BJP, Congress, And Islamism In Karnataka
The ruling Congress and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are on a collision course in Karnataka over the state government-sponsored Tipu Jayanti celebrations on 10 November.
BJP leaders have said they will boycott the event, which is being organised for the third consecutive year. Union Minister Anant Kumar Hedge called the 18th century ruler of Mysore a “brutal killer” and a “mass rapist”.
BJP leaders said they don't want their names to be printed on the invitation cards for the celebrations, with Hegde writing to the Karnataka Chief Secretary asking him to drop his name from the official invites to the event, and said he was boycotting it. BJP MPs Shobha Karandlaje and Nalin Kumar Kateel followed suit and decided not to attend the event.
"Conveyed #KarnatakaGovt NOT to invite me to shameful event of glorifying a person known as brutal killer, wretched fanatic & mass rapist," Hegde tweeted.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said based on protocol the names of the elected representatives are printed on invitation cards of government events. "It's up to the member to attend the event or not,'' he added.
Hegde said: "If the government prints my name on the invitation card, I'll attend the function and raise slogans from the dais against Tipu. If Siddaramaiah has the guts, let him stop me."
State BJP president B S Yeddyurappa chose not to comment on Hegde boycotting the event, saying it is an individual's decision.
BJP spokesperson and MLA C T Ravi took to the social media to express his anger. "Communal Congress led by arrogant @siddaramaiah is repeatedly insulting Hindus by celebrating Tyrant Tipu Jayanti despite severe opposition... and thrive on anti-Hindu appeasement policies. There is no rule that demands Union Minister has to attend Tipu Jayanthi celebrations just because @CMofKarnataka invites him," he tweeted.
It must be mentioned that at this point that it is Tipu’s own letters which reveal him to be a radical Islamist ruler. In a letter he sent to Budruz Zuman Khan on 19 January 1790, he wrote:
Don’t you know I have achieved a great victory recently in Malabar and over four lakh Hindus were converted to Islam? I am determined to march against that cursed Raman Nair very soon. Since I am overjoyed at the prospect of converting him and his subjects to Islam, I have happily abandoned the idea of going back to Srirangpatanam now.
Additionally, this year the issue is more important since the coming summer will see assembly elections in the state, and the Siddaramaiah government already has to explain why it gave a free hand to Islamist outfits in Karnataka.
Also read:
-A tale of two rulers: secular lies about Tipu Sultan
-How Siddaramaiah turned Karnataka into a haven for Islamism