In what could keep the issue alive for a much longer time than expected, the Karnataka BJP on Wednesday urged the Karnataka government to set up a House committee or an expert panel to study the history of Tipu Sultan in order to decide whether the warrior indeed deserved a state-wide celebration.
In the course of argument in the Karnataka assembly, some BJP MLAs attacked health minister U T Khader by telling him his ‘Hindu’ ancestors converted to Islam during Tipu’s reign.
TOI quoted BJP MLAs CT Ravi and Sunil Kumar saying: “Khader must remember that his ancestors were all Hindus and later converted to Islam during Tipu's reign. Most Muslims in the coastal parts of Karnataka were converted forcibly.”
Speaking on the law and order situation in the state, BJP blamed the Siddaramaiah government for causing communal tensions in Madikeri and other place in the state by announcing “Tipu Jayanti” celebrations.
Former Chief Minister and BJP leader Jagadish Shettar said, “What was the necessity for the government to celebrate Tipu Jayanthi, knowing very well that there is a divided opinion among historians on the matter.”
When Shettar’s statements did not go down well, BJP MLA CT Ravi suggested that the government set up a House committee of legislators to study Tipu's history and decide whether or not his reign was positive for Karnataka, reported TOI
Both CM and the home minister Parameshwara were not present in the assembly.
JD(S) leaders found the debate futile while the Speaker said that he was against the celebration.
JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy said that the matter was dead and buried. “While all those prominent people are dead and gone, we are unnecessarily raking up the issue. There are much more serious matters, including the suicides of farmers, which need to be discussed. The two national parties are just getting to irrelevant controversies,” he said.
Speaker Kogadu Thimmappa said, “While I am also elected from the same party as the government, I cannot defend it in every situation which invites trouble. Personally, I am against all celebrations or Jayantis of prominent people.”
This is an aggregated report from Times of India