In a major embarrassment to the ruling coalition Government in Karnataka, the controversial 18th century Mysore King Tipu Sultan Jayanti was celebrated in the conspicuous absence of Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday.
However Chief Minister’s office clarified that Chief Minister was asked by the doctors to take three days rest in view of his health. His deputy G Parameshwara reportedly was away in Singapore. However without any violence the official function was celebrated across the State amidst protest by the BJP.
The Opposition BJP which is opposing the Tipu Jayanti celebrations by the Government has attacked the coalition partners for what it calls as the ruling alliance’s “duplicity” and “pseudo-secularism”.
Karnataka BJP Spokesperson S Prakash said, “Fearing backlash, they have chosen to stay away. When they had announced it, they should have participated in the celebrations. They are deceiving the voters who have trusted them. Their hypocrisy has been exposed.”
However BJP and other Sangh pariwar organisations held demonstrations and protests against the celebration of Tipu Jayanti across the state. In communally sensitive Madikeri in Karnataka early on Saturday Security has been tightened in the area in the wake of a shutdown called by various groups, including the BJP and Codava National Council(CNC). Several people have also been detained.
The BJP had appealed to the Government to drop the celebrations after the JD(S)-Congress coalition Government announced that Tipu Jayanti would be observed on November 10 in continuation of the previous Congress Government’s policy.
BJP MLA and former assembly speaker K G Bopaiah was detained in Virajpet during the protest, police said. In Mangaluru, some protesters tried to barge into the zilla panchayat office with black flags where the event was being organised. The protesters were later detained by police. In Yellapura of Uttara Kannada district too, there were reports of detaining protesters. Similar protests were reported from Chikkamagaluru, Ballari, Karwar, Hubballi, Raichur and various parts of the state. Police have clamped prohibitory orders in most of the districts in the state as a precautionary measure.
Tipu Sultan is seen in a negative light in the coastal Dakshina Kannada district too, where the Christians believe he unleashed atrocities on their community. In another related development a group of Muslim leaders along with Karnataka Minister Zammer Ahmed Khan met senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah and honoured him on the occasion of Tipu Jayanthi.
Congress Minister Zameer Ahmed said, “The BJP has been protesting for the last three years. This is nothing new. They have been opposing Tipu birth anniversary celebration from the time we proposed it. They have intensified this year because of the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections.”
While Tipu Sultan is considered a freedom fighter by the State Government, he is considered a “religious bigot” by the BJP and sangh pariwar. The Tipu Jayanti celebrations, which began in 2015 under the Congress Government led by Siddaramaiah as part of his vote bank politics was opposed by the JDs and the BJP. Before forming the coalition Government with the Congress, JDs chief Kumaraswamy had opposed Congress Government celebrating Tipu Jayanti. However as part of coalition dharma the Kumaraswamy Government decided to continue the tradition of Tipu Jayanti in view of the 2019 general elections.
The Congress Government had started celebrating Tipu Sultan’s birth anniversary in 2015 saying Tipu was a “freedom fighter”, who was killed in the 4th Anglo-Mysore war. However BJP and right wing organisations protested this and call him a traitor who had killed Hindus and Christians in Mangaluru.