Bengaluru: Amid strong opposition from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka, the state government has decided to go ahead with Tipu Jayanti celebrations. The police department will meet on Monday to discuss the necessary arrangements.
Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Sunday that precautionary measures will be taken to ensure no untoward incidents occur. "The BJP is unnecessarily opposing Tipu Jayanti celebrations. But, however strong their opposition is, we will celebrate Tipu Sultan who fought against the British," G Parameshwara told the media in Bengaluru.
The Home Minister further alleged the BJP for trying to make political gains out of this, keeping the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in view.
Meanwhile, union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde raised an objection on being included in the list of ministers invited for Tipu Jayanti. "We have included his name as per the protocol. Whether he comes or not is left to him," said Parameshwara.
On Saturday, Minister for Kannada and Culture said that the state government will celebrate the Jayanti on November 10, following chief minister HD Kumaraswamy's announcement of the same on Kannada Rajyotsava day. "We will continue with the programmes that were started by the previous government. Just because they (BJP) object doesn't mean we should stop," the CM had said.
Calling him anti-Hindu, the BJP has constantly opposed the celebration of Tipu Sultan. Protests had erupted in various places against the celebrations in the previous years, which killed two in Madikeri in 2015.
This year, the Tipu Jayanthi Virodhi Horata Samithi is fighting against the state government's move.
Meanwhile, a public interest litigation against the celebration of Tipu Jayanti is to be heard by the high court on November 9.
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