Karnataka: Protests In Raichur District After Tipu Sultan Portrait Garlanded With Slippers - Here's All You Need To Know

Tension gripped Karnataka's Raichur district on Wednesday (31 January) as a portrait of Tipu Sultan was found garlanded with slippers.

The act sparked outrage among the local Muslim community, leading to a massive protest that included the blocking of traffic and the demand for immediate arrests of the individuals responsible.

Subsequently, the garland was removed from the portrait.

In response to the situation, law enforcement authorities had assured the protesters that the miscreants would be apprehended within 24 hours.

An FIR has been registered at the Sirwar Police Station in Raichur in connection with the incident.

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This incident is not the first time that Tipu Sultan has become a focal point of controversy in Karnataka.

In December of the previous year, a proposal by Congress MLA Prasad Abbayya to rename the Mysuru airport after Tipu Sultan had stirred sharp criticism from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs in the Karnataka Assembly.

The proposal was put forth by the Hubballi-Dharwad (East) MLA during a discussion on the state government's request to the Centre to change airport names.

Abbayya had 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. 

Tipu Sultan has been a contentious figure in karnataka politics, triggering disputes between the Congress and BJP in Karnataka for several years.

The controversy dates back to 2016 when the then Siddaramaiah-led Congress government initiated the celebration of Tipu Sultan's birthday on 10 November, marking it as 'Tipu Jayanti.'

However, the BJP had opposed the move, and the celebration was discontinued after the party assumed power in the state in 2019.

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