Tipu Jayanthi- Inquiry will be set up to probe VHP activist's death

Madikeri(Karnataka) Nov 10: The Karnataka government has sought a report from the district administration of Kodagu and is likely to set up an inquiry into the death of a VHP activist who was killed while protesting the Tipu Jayanthi celebrations. The police have said that the activist, Kuttappa had died after he fell from a 25 feet wall during the protests.

There have been conflicting versions of the death, but the Government of Karnataka and the Kodagu district administration maintain that Kuttappa had died after he fell down.

While Section 144 has been clamped in Kodagu, the government says if violence is reported anywhere else the same measures will be taken. Kodagu district administration officials however clarified that Section 144 was imposed only in affected areas such as Madikeri and Kushalnagar.

Meanwhile there have been protests across the state against the celebration of Tipu Sultan's birthday. However no violence has been reported in other parts of the state and protests have by and large been peaceful.

The government of Karnataka decided to go ahead and observe Tipu Jayanthi across the state although, there has been opposition from the BJP on this front.

The Tipu Jayanthi celebrations turned ugly when a man protesting. The incident occurred in the Kodagu district, 240 kilometres from Bengaluru today. The 50 year old man identified as Kuttappa who is also the organizing secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad fell off a wall following stone pelting and lathi charge.

The BJP and the RSS along with several Catholics have been protesting Tipu Jayanthi. They have referred to the ruler as a tyrant who indulged in large scale conversions. The Catholics accuse him of destroying the Milagres Church in Mangalore and also killing several persons accusing them of being British spies.

Security is tight across the state in the view of the protests that are being staged against the celebrations. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah says that he fails to understand why people are protesting while also adding that people have turned up in large numbers to suppVHPort the celebrations. Prahlad Joshi, the state BJP president says that they will continue protesting.

OneIndia News