President Ram Nath Kovind’s statement praising Tipu Sultan during his address in Karnataka’s legislative assembly on Wednesday has left several BJP leaders red-faced.
In his speech, President Kovind said that Tipu Sultan died a heroic death while fighting the British. He also mentioned Tipu Sultan’s contribution to the invention of Mysore rockets. “He was also the pioneer in the development and use of Mysore rockets in warfare. This technology was later adopted by the Europeans,” read the president’s speech.
While the Congress party has welcomed the President’s statement, several leaders of the BJP who have been opposed to celebrating the legacy of Tipu Sultan are upset.
The President’s statement gains importance as a political tussle over Tipu Sultan is underway in the state ahead of the elections. The Karnataka government had announced that Tipu Sultan Jayanti would be celebrated in the state on 10 November. There was outrage in Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada and parts of Kerala, where Tipu is considered a tyrant, leading to violence which cost three lives – this opposition has been supported by several BJP leaders.
Last week, union minister Anantkumar Hegde had asked the Karnataka government to keep him out of the state's Tipu Jayanti celebrations, calling Tipu Sultan a ‘brutal killer, wretched fanatic and mass rapist’.
"Conveyed (to) Karnataka government not to invite me to shameful event of glorifying a person known as brutal killer, wretched fanatic and mass rapist," Hegde had tweeted.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday lashed out at BJP leaders, including Union Minister of State for Skill Development Ananth Kumar Hegde and MP Shobha Karandlaje, for their refusal to be part of the event. He said that the invitation for the Tipu Jayanti celebrations would be sent out to all central and state leaders, and it would be up to them to accept or reject it.
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