BJP, RSS workers protest in Bengaluru against Tipu Jayanti celebrations

ANI photo

BENGALURU: In the wake of the Karnataka government planning to celebrate Tipu Jayanti on November 10, the Bharatiya Jayanti Party (BJP) and RSS men on Wednesday staged a demonstration at Bengaluru's Town Hall. 

Hundreds of workers gathered at the Town Hall today to protest the state government's decision to go ahead with Tipu Jayanti celebrations across the state on Friday. 

On Tuesday, the Karnataka High Court refused to put a stay on Tipu Sultan Jayanti celebrations, in a setback to opposition BJP and some outfits, who are opposed to the celebrations and have called the erstwhile ruler 'religious bigot', 'fanatic' and 'anti-Kannada'.

Tipu Jayanti is being observed since 2015 following a government decision, which had triggered a major row and caused violence in Kodagu district that year.

President Ram Nath Kovind’s mention of the 18th century Mysore ruler, Tipu Sultan, in his address to the joint session of Karnataka legislature on Wednesday triggered a political slugfest between the ruling Congress and opposition BJP.

"Tipu Sultan died a heroic death fighting the British. He was also a pioneer in the development and use of Mysore rockets in warfare. This technology was later adopted by the Europeans," Kovind said while noting that Karnataka is a land of formidable soldiers.

Recently, Union minister Anantkumar Hegde had stirred a hornet’s nest after he requested the Karnataka government not to include his name in programme invitations for Tipu Jayanti celebrations.

"Conveyed (to) Karnataka government not to invite me to the shameful event of glorifying a person known as a brutal killer, wretched fanatic and mass rapist," Hegde had tweeted.

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker from the state Prahlad Joshi has alleged that Tipu Sultan was "anti-Hindu, anti-Kannada and exploited India".

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.