Tipu Sultan row: CM Siddaramaiah says celebrations not aimed at polls

Mysuru/Bengaluru: Dismissing claims that his government’s decision to celebrate the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan was aimed at appeasing vote banks of the Congress party, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the celebration was organised because Tipu was a freedom fighter.

Speaking after inaugurating developmental works at Periyapatna here on Friday, the CM said, “Nobody applies to be born in a particular community. I am also a Hindu, born in the Kuruba community. We should live like brothers and sisters in society. We are not favouring any particular community by celebrating Tipu’s birthday. The  BJP does not wish to see peace in society. They are indulging in hate politics. Two innocent people lost their lives in Kodagu. We will teach them(BJP) the right lesson,” he said.

“The Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishat are trying to spoil peace for political gain. They are creating an unnecessary law and order crisis. We are ordering a magisterial inquiry by Mysuru DC C Shikha, into the violence at Madikeri,” the CM told mediapersons at Lalitmahal helipad.

On violence spreading from Kodagu to Hassan and Mangaluru, Mr Siddaramaiah said, “We are initiating strict measures to keep law and order situation under control. We have imposed section 144 in Mangaluru and Hassan to prevent protests and ensure there is no inconvenience to the public.”  Asked if there was an intelligence failure in preventing violence in Kodagu as the BJP had announced in advance that  they would observe bandh on November 10 , he said, “They said they will hold a bandh, but they did not say they would assemble in groups and obstruct people heading for the anniversary function. The truth will emerge in the inquiry.”  

On Social Welfare Minister Mr H. Anjaneya, he said, “We have ordered a CID probe. Let the report come out.  There is no question of protecting anybody.” Mr Siddaramaiah  announced the adoption of Bettada Thunga village, the birthplace of former CM Devraj Urs in Periyapatna taluk and said, “The village will be developed at a cost of Rs 31.75 crore.”

Siddaramaiah: RSS, BJP creating trouble

“I am 100 percent satisfied with my two and a half years tenure as Chief Minister except for the unnecessary commotion created by RSS and BJP,” CM Siddaramaiah said.

When asked about comments by some Congress leaders that   despite launching schemes for the benefit of the AHINDA communities and Anna Bhagya, there has not been adequate development in the agriculture and industrial sectors, he said, “Those making these comments do not have adequate information.”

On rumours of leadership change in Karnataka, he said, “I will not comment on them.”

Vokkaligas demand action against Karnad

Rajya Vokkaligara Okkuta has submitted a memorandum to Union ministers D.V. Sadananda Gowda and Ananth Kumar urging them to prevail upon the state government to take criminal action against noted writer Girish Karnad for spreading ‘communal disharmony’ among communities.

Professor M. Nagaraj led a team which met both Union ministers and requested them not to consider the request of state government to change the name of Kempegowda International Airport at Devanahalli as suggested by Girish Karnad. The Chief Minister has not condemned the statement of Mr. Karnad, though he made that statement at government function. In the coming days, the possibility of the Chief Minister taking the suggestion of Mr. Karnad seriously to rename Kempegowda International Airport after Tipu Sultan cannot be ruled out, the Vokkaligara Okkuta stated in the memorandum.

The ministers assured the delegation that once the Centre has named Bengaluru International Airport after Kempegowda, the question of renaming the airport does not arise.

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