Two days before the government is due to observe Tipu Jayanti, the BJP staged protests in the state capital, alleging that the Congress was only trying to play vote bank politics with the move.
Led by party president and former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, over 200 BJP workers gathered near Hotel Maurya on Sheshadri Road on Tuesday, raising slogans against the celebration of Tipu Jayanti. Yeddyurappa called for a 'black flag day' on November 10 in protest against Tipu Jayanti.
Two RAF platoons were also deployed with the city police during the protest. Security in different parts of the state, especially Kodagu district, has been stepped up and preventive arrests have been made across the state ahead of Tipu Jayanti celebrations.
“Tipu killed 700 Hindus in Melukote (Mandya district). Even today, the people of Melukote do not celebrate Diwali because of this incident. His forces ambushed the people in Madikeri,” he claimed. “The Congress government is out to honour such a man as a martyr and icon.”
Yeddyurappa claimed the Congress government had enabled the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) to enter the political framework of Karnataka and labelled them as “terror organizations”.
Minister for Infrastructure, Urban Development, Information and Haj, Roshan Baig and the Chief Minister were responsible for the murder of RSS worker Rudresh in Shivajinagar, Yedyurappa alleged.
Yeddyurappa also castigated the Congress government for withdrawing 175 cases against the PFI over its alleged involvement in the 2010 communal riots in Hassan and Shivamogga districts.
He also touched on the murders of RSS and BJP workers in different parts of the state. “With the death of Sunil Dongre in Bidar today, the death toll of BJP workers has gone up to 15 now,” he claimed.
He claimed that “terror groups” from Kerala had found their way into Karnataka and that the government was doing nothing to stop it.
He said the Siddaramaiah government was indulging in vote bank politics and attempting to create communal tensions between communities. “The Congress did not remember Tipu Sultan until two-and-a-half years ago when they decided to start celebrating Tipu Jayanti. Siddaramaiah is using this as an opportunity to gather votes from minority communities and attempting to divide the united people of Karnataka," Yeddyurappa said.
Claiming that Tipu had destroyed parts of the Omkareshwara temple in Madikeri, Kodagu district, BJP general secretary (Karnataka), Ravikumar, said “He is not an icon or a martyr.”
“The Siddaramaiah government celebrated a low-key Dasara citing reasons of drought. However, the administration is now spending around Rs 10 crore for Tipu Jayanti celebrations. Tipu formed alliance with the French and Dutch and fought the British in order to save his crown. His move had no element of national interest,” said Sharada Nayak, president of Bengaluru City Mahila Morcha.