Ballari: BJP legislator B S Anand Singh on Saturday defended his decision to participate in Tipu Jayanti celebrations saying he represents people of all castes and communities and wondered why leaders are fighting over issues which are "buried in history."
While maintaining that he has the highest respect for his party and would abide by its decisions, Mr Singh, however, told the media he has not received any show cause notice from leaders of state unit of BJP for defying orders to boycott the celebrations on Friday.
“Being an MLA, I must respect the sentiments of the people of all castes and religions in my constituency. I followed Rajdharma by respecting the sentiments of the Muslim community,” said BJP legislator, B S Anand Singh, defending his decision to participate in the Tipu Sultan Jayanthi celebrations in Hosapete on Friday against the diktats of his party.
While senior BJP leader, Jagadish Shettar has asked the party's state unit to issue show cause notices to BJP leaders, including Mr Singh, who defied its line on Tipu Jayanthi, the MLA, when contacted on Saturday, said he had not received it so far.
"I have great respect for my party and I will abide by its decision. But when Muslim community leaders invited me to participate in Tipu Jayanthi, how could I say no to them when I have participated in similar celebrations of other communities?" he asked, contending it was meaningless for people to fight over issues that were buried in history. "Who has seen Tipu doing right or wrong? Why should we fight over such issues now and disturb the harmony in society?" he demanded.
Recalling that in his childhood, he only knew of Gandhi Jayanthi,he deplored that today 31 Jayanthis were being celebrated ,but people had forgotten to emulate the principles of the individuals being honoured.” Instead, the sense of casteism is getting stronger,” he regretted. Born to a Muslim mother and a Rajput father, Mr Singh is a second time legislator from Hosapete and is going all out to win his third assembly election in 2018 from the constituency where Muslims account for over 40,000 votes.
