Karnataka Govt firm on Tipu Jayanti despite intelligence warning

Bengaluru, Oct 29: The Kannada and Culture department on Friday decided to go ahead with the Tipu Jayanti celebrations on November 10. The state-level celebrations will be organised in Bengaluru.

This was decided at a meeting convened by Kannada and Culture Minister Umashree in Bengaluru.

According to official sources, the meeting was convened after the state intelligence wing reportedly advised the government not to organise the Jayanti, especially after the incidents of violence witnessed in Kodagu last year.

Two persons, including a member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, had died in the clashes between two groups.

However, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is supposed to have instructed officials to go ahead with the Jayanti celebrations. Also, unlike last year, this year, the Kannada and Culture department has been vested with the responsibility of organising the event. Last year, the Directorate of Minorities had organised the celebration.

To invite Hindu seers

Umashree had convened the meeting, which was attended by Ministers Tanveer Sait and Roshan Baig as well as the heads of the Wakf Board and Urdu Academy.

At the meeting, it was resolved to invite Hindu religious leaders, including seers Veerabhadra Channamalla of Nidumamidi Mutt, Sri Bharati Teertha of Sringeri Shankar Mutt and Vishwesha Teertha of Pejawar Mutt, in a bid to showcase that the Jayanti is not a “religious” event.

When contacted, Baig said that there were no reports from the intelligence wing. He said that the Nidumamidi Mutt seer would be the speaker, and efforts were on to contact other seers.

He argued that Tipu Jayanti is not a religious celebration. “We are keen that the Sringeri Mutt swami participates because till date the Mutt has carried on with the tradition ofSultan Aarti'. Tipu had helped restore the temple at Sringeri after it was plundered by the Marathas. He had even donated money and jewels to the temple,” Baig added.

RSS?to back protests against event

The RSS will oppose the government's plan to celebrate Tipu Jayanti and will support protests planned by members of the Sangha Parivar.

Addressing reporters, RSS?Kshetriya Sanchalak V?Nagaraj said Tipu was “intolerant and a bigot”. “He was an intolerant king. He killed innocent Kodavas. Several historians including Kirmani and Mutthanna have chronicled Tipu's religious hatred and bigotry,” he said, reports DHNS from Bengaluru .

Nagaraj said there was no demand from the Muslim community for holding Tipu Jayanti. “It is obvious that the government is organising Tipu Jayanti on November 10 with political interest in mind.”

The RSS has not organised any protest to oppose Tipu Jayanti. The RSS?will support protest rallies planned by various organisations in Chitradurga and Bengaluru on November 2 and 8 respectively, he said.

Roshan baig, Minister: We are keen that the Sringeri Mutt swami participates because till date the Mutt has carried on with the tradition ofSultan Aarti'. Tipu had helped restore the temple at Sringeri after it was plundered by the Marathas. He had even donated money and jewels to the temple.