Decision to not celebrate Tipu Jayanti was taken after analysing past incidents: Yediyurappa

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday said that the decision to not celebrate Tipu Sultan Jayanti was taken after analysing the past incidents.

Since long, the BJP has been claiming that Tipu Sultan was against Kannada language and an "anti-Hindu".

"Some MLAs had submitted a petition pertaining to celebration of Tipu Jayanti. After analysing the previous incidents caused due to the celebrations, we have decided not to celebrate Tipu Jayanti after cabinet discussion," Yediyurappa said.

The new BJP government led by Yediyurappa in Karnataka has decided not to celebrate Tipu Sultan Jayanti this year.

An order in this regard was issued to the Kannada and Culture Department on a decision taken by Yediyurappa days after taking over as chief minister at a Cabinet meeting.

In past, a political controversy had erupted over Tipu Sultan birth anniversary between the then ruling Congress government and the BJP.

The Congress government led by former chief minister Siddaramaiah was of the view that the 18th-century ruler of Mysore was a "freedom fighter" as he killed in the fourth Anglo-Mysore war and thus his birth anniversary should be celebrated while the BJP claimed that the ruler was against Kannada language and an "anti-Hindu".