Those who have glorified Tipu Sultan have been destroyed: BJP

Expressing the BJP's staunch opposition to the celebration BJP MLA Appachu Ranjan claimed that this would mark the Congress' downfall in the state.

All those who glorified Tipu Sultan have been destroyed, the BJP said today. BJP leaders and strongmen from Kodagu Appachu Ranjan and K G Bopaiah deemed the celebration an insult to the people of Kodagu.

Addressing media persons over the Tipu controversy the duo accused the Siddaramaiah goverment of appeasement politics with Tipu Jayanti. "There were no celebrations since the last 60 years, why now? This celebration will only cause disharmony", said K G Bopaiah.

Expressing the BJP's staunch opposition to the celebration BJP MLA Appachu Ranjan claimed that this would mark the Congress' downfall in the state. "Sanjay Khan who made a serial on Tipu suffered after the studio was burnt, Vijay Mallya who bought Tipu's sword suffered and now the Congress will also be destroyed," he also said. Congress will bear the curse of Cauvery," he also added.

Despite stiff opposition from various quarters the Siddaramaiah led Karnataka government is all set to celebrate Tipu Jayanti on November 10. The debut celebrations turned bloody last year with the death of 2 people including a right-wing activist after clashes broke out in Kodagu. Unperturbed, the government is gearing up for celebrations yet again.

Putting off the opposition from right wing organisations, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, "RSS is communal and they try to flare up sentiments. We celebrated Tipu Jayanthi last year and we will continue it. Law and order will be taken care off".

Congress divided:

While the opposition from BJP and right wing organisations was quite expected, all is not hunky dory within the Congress as well with voices of dissent being heard. No amount of opposition, both ouside and within the party seems to have mattered to the government which has decided to continue with the celebration year after year.

Prominent Congress leader and legal advisor to the government, Brijesh Kalappa who is from Kodagu is of the opinion that celebrations should not take place in Mangaluru and Kodagu.
Even as he accepts the government's decision to celebrate Tipu Jayanti, who he believes is a historically bonafide hero, he hopes the celebration is a low-key affair, "I had stated that this was unnecessary last year as well. Historical wrongs have been committed against people of Kodagu and Mangaluru by Tipu Sultan. Let there be celebrations in Mysore not in Kodagu and Mangaluru".