[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Violence reported from Kodagu district, Congress and BJP continue to spar over legacy of Tipu Sultan, the 18^th Century ruler of Mysore

Karnataka remained tense, on Friday, as the state’s Siddaramaiah-led Congress government began the yearly Tipu Jayanti celebrations to mark the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan, the 18th Century ruler of Mysore.

The annual celebrations have been opposed by the BJP and other right-wing groups in the state ever since they were instituted by chief minister Siddaramaiah in 2015. The BJP and Hindutva forces across Karnataka claim that Tipu Sultan was a “an anti-Hindu tyrant” while the Congress, large sections of the state’s population, historians and even President Ram Nath Kovind believe that the erstwhile ruler of Mysore was a “freedom fighter” who fought four battles against the British.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]With past experience of Tipu Jayanti celebrations being marked by sporadic incidents of violence and protests, the Karnataka government has decided to deploy a large number of policemen at sensitive spots to prevent occurrence of any untoward incident.

The state administration has imposed section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) that prohibits assembly of more than four people in the Kodagu district – the region which was witness to Tipu Sultan’s massacre of the local Hindu population which had revolted against his conquest during the famous Kodava rebellion. The police have made it clear that no procession related to the Tipu Jayanti celebrations – or in protest against it – will be allowed in any city or town of the Kodagu district, except for functions being organized by the state government.

“We are not giving permission to any procession, whether it is in favour of Tipu Jayanti or against it. The government itself is celebrating the event in various parts of the city for which we have made elaborate arrangements,” Bengaluru Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar said.

Till the time of filing this report, violence was reported only from Madikeri in Kodagu district. Reports said that three windows of a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation were broken in stone pelting by protesters at around 8 am. Protestors in Nelamangala in rural Bengaluru district sat in protest in the middle of NH-4 and set several tyres on fire.

Meanwhile, a BJP MLA M Satish Reddy went against the party line by celebrating Tipu Sultan Jayanti. Several Tipu Jayanti posters with BJP MLA M Satish Reddy’s photo were reportedly seen in his constituency.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Reddy’s support for Tipu Jayanti is certain to embarrass his party. Last month, Union minister for Skill Development and BJP MP from the Uttara Kannada constituency, Ananta Kumar Hegde had stirred a controversy by writing to the state government demanding that his name not be included in the list of invitees for the Tipu Jayanti functions. Hegde, known for his hate speeches against Muslims and controversial statements, had then gone on to describe Tipu Sultan as “a person known as brutal killer, wretched fanatic and mass rapist.”

Even President Ram Nath Kovind was not spared by members of the party he was associated with before assuming the country’s highest constitutional office after he praised the former Mysore royal. On October 25, while addressing a joint session of the Karnataka Vidhan Soudha, the seat of state legislature to commemorate its diamond jubilee, President Ram Nath Kovind had said: “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.”

The comments had drawn the ire of senior BJP legislators and leaders in Karnataka, who while not disrupting the President’s address, had later voiced their opposition to the praise he lavished on Tipu Sultan and claimed that President Kovind was “tricked by the state’s Congress government” into making the comments.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]