Karnataka HC refuses to stay Tipu Jayanti celebrations

The government's decision to celebrate the day on November 10 last year had drawn much criticism from the BJP and the RSS, who termed this act of the Congress as "minority appeasement

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday refused to stay the Tipu Sultan birth anniversary celebrations on November 10. The court issued a notice to the government to raise objections in four weeks on the contention that the day must never be celebrated.

The petitioner was Chinnappa and he is represented by Advocate Pawan Chandra.

Last month, Union minister Anantkumar Hegde had conveyed to the Karnataka government not to invite him to the "shameful" event of Tipu Sultan Jayanti on November 10.

The government's decision to celebrate the day on November 10 last year had drawn much criticism from the BJP and the RSS, who termed this act of the Congress as "minority appeasement".

This year also, the Siddaramaiah-led government is all set to celebrate Tipu Jayanti despite widespread protests and violence that had marred celebrations in the last two years.

Large-scale communal violence erupted during the Tipu Jayanti celebrations in 2015 when it was first organised by the state government.

Tipu was a ruler of the erstwhile kingdom of Mysore. He was considered an enemy of the British East India Company. Tipu was killed in May 1799, while defending his fort of Srirangapatna against the British forces.

(With agency inputs)