Tipu Jayanti: HC seeks to know whether it has authority of state budget

The Karnataka High Court today sought to know whether the expenditure to be incurred on "Tipu Jayanti" celebrations to be held across the state on November 10 had the "authority" of the state budget.

The query by a bench comprising Acting Chief Justice  H G Ramesh and Justice P S Dinesh Kumar came during the hearing on admissibility of a PIL seeking to restrain the government from going ahead with the "Tipu Jayanti" celebrations.

The court adjourned the hearing for tomorrow after the petitioner sought time to furnish documents to show whether expenditure incurred to celebrate the event has the authority of budget.

The petitioner Manjunath KP had sought directions to restrain the celebrations in his home district of Kodagu saying it would foment communal disharmony.

He contended that large scale communal violence erupted during the Tipu Jayanti celebrations in 2015, when it was first organised by the state government.     Manjunath made submissions pertaining to several   historical material facts contending that Tipu Sultan had killed thousands of Kodavas (in Kodagu district) during his rule.      

He also submitted that Tipu's rule in Kodagu resulted in conversion of Kodavas to Islam. Tipu was an invader and a dictator and glorifying such a person is a matter of shame, he contended. Tipu was a ruler of the erstwhile kingdom of Mysore. He was considered an enemy of the British East India Company. Tipu was killed in May 1799 while defending his fort of Srirangapatna against the British forces.

Opposition BJP and some outfits are opposed to Tipu Jayanti celebrations and have called him "religious bigot", "fanatic" and "anti-Kannada". Tipu is viewed in a negative light in Kodagu district of the state, where he was alleged to have persecuted the local Kodava population, as also the Roman Catholics of Mangaluru, on religious grounds and forced conversion to Islam.