BJP's youth wing opposes Tipu Jayanti

Urges govt to celebrate birth anniversary of mystic poet Santha Shishunala Sharif instead

Karnataka State BJP Youth Wing condemned the State government for celebrating the birth anniversary of erstwhile Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan on November 10.

Addressing media persons here on Monday, State BJP Youth Wing secretary Tejaswi Surya charged that the State government is celebrating the Tipu Jayanti to strengthen its vote bank by appeasing the minority communities. Tipu Jayanti is an insult for Indian history and Kannadigas, he said.

“In Mysore Gazetteer authored by Lewis B Rice, it has been clearly documented that Tipu had destroyed many temples in the State. He was anti-Kannada and against Hindus. There are only a few examples of Tipu supporting temples by funding them and it is true that he destroyed nearly 8,000 Hindu temples,” he said.

Tipu forced conversion and introduced Persian, an alien language, as the administrative language of the State. Revenue terms like Khata, Darkasth, Kasba are classical examples for it, Surya pointed out.

“Self-declared historians are spreading wrong messages to the society. Tipu was not a freedom fighter. If he had fought for the country, then why would he fight against Marathas and rulers of Kodagu and other States?” he questioned.

“Tipu had written secret letters to Muslim leaders in the gulf countries inviting them to conquer India. The book ‘Secret Correspondence of Tipu’, which contains secret communication of Tipu with other Muslim kings, is on display in an exhibition in England”, Surya said.

Defending the party as non-communal, he said the government should celebrate the birth anniversary of the first Muslim poet of Kannada Shishunala Sharif, who was a mystic and a social reformer,  instead of celebrating Tipu’s birth anniversary.