Bengaluru: Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa-led BJP government has cancelled celebrations of Tipu Jayanti as a state event.
Within three days after coming to power, the Yediyurappa Government revered the decision taken by the Siddaramaiah government – and continued by the JD(S)-Congress coalition government – to mark the birth anniversary of the Tiger of Mysuru with state pomp and fervor.
The BJP has been protesting the state-level celebration of the birth anniversary of the 18th-century ruler of the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom since 2015 when the annual event was launched during the Congress rule.
In the official order issued on Tuesday, the Karnataka Chief Minister stated he had received a letter from Virajpet MLA KG Bopaiah asking him to consider cancelling celebrations, which is organised every year by the Kannada and culture department on November 10.
While Yediyurappa claimed that the decision was taken after analysing the past incidents, former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah slammed the governed alleging them of not being secular.
The decision to cancel Tipu Jayanti has invited the wrath of activists, rationalists and progressive thinkers who want the government to continue with the event as they say Tipu was a social reformer and freedom fighter.
“Tipu’s contribution to the state is invaluable. He is a role model for all administrators. The new government’s meddling with cultural decisions taken by previous governments will send a wrong signal to the society,” said Aravind Malagatti, former president, Karnataka Sahitya Academy.
Meanwhile, descendants of Tipu Sultan in Kolkata expressed their displeasure over the decision.
Comments are closed.