BJP can’t erase Tipu Sultan’s legacy: Asaduddin Owaisi's dig on train renaming

Mysuru, Oct 09: A day after the Railway Board renamed Tipu Express, a popular train on the Bengaluru - Mysuru route, to Wodeyar Express, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi condemned the move and said the BJP would never be able to erase Tipu Sultans legacy.

Taking Twitter Owaisi posted, "BJP govt renamed Tippu Express to Wodeyar Express. Tipu irks BJP because he waged 3 wars against its British masters. Another train could have been named after Wodeyars. BJP will never be able to erase Tipu's legacy. He scared British while alive and scares British slaves even now."

Responding quickly to Owaisi remark, BJP IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya took to Twitter, writing, BJP doesnt want to erase the legacy of Tipu.

"BJP doesn't want to erase the legacy of Tipu. On the contrary, we want his true legacy to be known to the people," Malviya tweeted.

"Tipu was a barbarian, who inflicted untold miseries on the Kodavas in Coorg, the Syrian Christians in Mangalore, the Catholics, the Konkanis, the Nairs of Malabar," he added.

The renaming of trains was done based on the request made by the Mysuru MP Pratap Simha.

"Considering the contributions of the Wodeyar Dynasty not only for the development of the Railways but also for transforming it as a modern state, there is a strong sentiment among the people of my parliamentary constituency to rename T.No.12614113 super fast daily express between Mysore-Bengaluru City-Mysore as "WODEYAR EXPRESS". This is perhaps, the most fitting tribute to a visionary and pragmatic ruler who was instrumental in executing vital railway projects," Simha shared letters he had written to the minister in July.

Wodeyar Express runs from Bengaluru to Mysuru in two and a half hours. It has just two stops, at Mandya and Kengeri.