Karnataka: Will Tipu Jayanti tip scales for BJP?

Bengaluru: This could be the red flag issue that the BJP has been looking for! A confrontation is brewing between the Siddaramaiah government and Union Minister of State, Anant Kumar Hegde over the soon to be held Tipu Jayanti celebrations.

While the latter has made it clear he wants no involvement in the event  and has requested the government  to keep his name out of the invitation cards, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asserted on Saturday that this could not be allowed. Asked for his comment on the minister’s stance, Mr Siddaramaiah told reporters that it would include his name on the invitations for the event as planned.

But a peeved Mr Hegde responded with even greater aggression when told about the CM’s statement, warning that if his name was on the invitation, he would make things very difficult for the government if it ignored his request, and would embarrass it by speaking of “the tyranny,” raising slogans against the Mysore ruler, and staging a walk-out.

“If the state government decides to include my name on the invitation in the guise of protocol,  I will attend the event and explain the tyrant's history in detail, raise slogans against Tipu and walk out," he warned, recalling that he had been consistent in opposing the Tipu Jayanti celebrations " just like  lakhs of other people."

Working president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), Dinesh Gundu Rao, meanwhile, launched an acerbic attack on the BJP, accusing it of trying to communally divide society for its political ends. "The BJP has a track record  of playing politics over people's deaths," he charged, urging the state government to deal sternly with those, who might try to disrupt the Tipu Jayanti celebrations.

“No matter which community they belong to, the government should not spare those who might take law into their hands," he said. Also taking strong objection to the BJP's stand, chief of the United Tipu Sultan Front , Sardar Qureshi contended that those who opposed Tipu Jayanti seemed to be descendants of those, who had joined hands with the British while the Mysuru king fought them.

While thanking the Congress government for taking the "bold step" of celebrating Tipu Jayanti, he said it was unfortunate that the BJP was opposing it. " Mr Hegde is a minister for the 125 crore people of the country and not just of the BJP or other organisations. The BJP has been playing such politics for quite a some time now. Those who oppose Tipu Jayanti seem to be descendants of those who joined the British in its battle against Tipu," he told television channels, when approached for his comment.