Congress MLA's Proposal To Name Mysuru Airport After Tipu Sultan Sparks Row, Karnataka Assembly Approves Four Renames

The suggestion by Congress MLA Prasad Abbayya to rename Mysuru airport after Tipu Sultan, a tyrant Muslim ruler, has been met with strong disapproval from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs in the Karnataka Assembly, NDTV reported.

During a conversation about the state government's correspondence with the Centre regarding changing airport names, Abbayya, the MLA from Hubballi-Dharwad (East), introduced a proposal. Abbayya suggested, "We should consider changing the name of Mysuru airport to Tipu Sultan airport."

The BJP MLAs were left incensed by this, leading to their stand-up protest and objection to the decision, which sparked intense debates between both parties. However, the Karnataka Assembly unanimously approved a resolution on Thursday, urging the central government to christen four airports in honour of distinguished figures.

The resolution states that the Hubballi airport is to be renamed after Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna, the Belagavi airport will bear the name of Kittur Rani Chennamma, the Shivamogga airport will be named in honor of Rashtrakavi Dr KV Puttappa (Kuvempu), and the Vijayapura airport will be renamed after Sri Jagadjyoti Basaveshwara.

Previously, on 13 October, while addressing an event, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed that Kittur Rani Channamma and Tipu Sultan serve as inspirations for the battle for self-respect.

He highlighted the bravery of Kittur Channamma, a formidable queen who dared to confront the massive British army with her modest forces. He noted that during his initial tenure as Chief Minister, he initiated Kittur Utsava and Jayantsova. These events were designed to familiarise the youth and contemporary generation with her valor and principles.

In 2016, when Siddarmiah served as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, he made the decision to honor the controversial figure, Tipu Sultan, by celebrating his birthday on 10 November as "Tipu Jayanti". The resolution was abandoned when the BJP assumed power in the state in 2019.