Bengaluru: The ruling BJP in Karnataka and the main opposition party Congress are once again at loggerheads over the 18th-century ruler of the erstwhile Mysuru Kingdom, Tipu Sultan. A day after Karnataka BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel gave a call to ”chase all descendants of Tipu Sultan” to the forests and state’s minister CN Ashwath Narayan calling people to “kill him”, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah has sought to know if the Prime Minister will intervene now.
Siddaramaiah has accused Karnataka Minister Narayan of trying to ‘instigate’ people to kill him and strong exception to the latter’s statement that he should be “knocked out and sent off” like Tipu Sultan. The Karnataka Congress veteran has urged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to immediately initiate action against Narayan by sacking him from the cabinet.
The Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly was referring to Narayan’s recent remark in Mandya while targeting him. “Tipu’s son Siddaramaiah will come…. Do you want Tipu or Savarkar? Where should we send Tipu Sultan? What did Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda do? In the same way he should be knocked out and sent off,” Narayan had said.
A section in the old Mysuru belt claims that Tipu did not die fighting the British but was killed by two Vokkaliga chieftains Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda, which has been disputed by some historians.
Narayan on his part said, his statement was not personally directed at Siddaramaiah and in case the Congress legislature party leader is hurt, he will express regret. He also clarified that he only meant defeating electorally and not causing any physical harm, as being misinterpreted.
“Higher Education Minister Ashwath Narayan has appealed to people to kill me the way Tipu was killed. Ashwath Narayan, Why are you trying to instigate people? Get the gun yourself,” Siddaramaiah said.
Expressing surprise that no action has been taken against the minister who has openly appealed to people to kill, the former CM in a series of tweets said this shows that Bommai, Home minister Araga Jnanendra, and their “incompetent cabinet are sleeping and is in agreement with Ashwath Narayan”.
Has Gujarat BJP culture crept into Karnataka BJP as well? he asked while seeking to know whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will remain silent even now just as he was in 2002 (Gujarat riots). “Kannadigas will never let Karnataka become like Gujarat.”
Urging Bommai to immediately sack Narayan from the cabinet and arrest him, Siddaramaiah said, “If no action is taken, it only means that BJP is in agreement with the appeal or they think Ashwath Narayan has become ‘Mentally Unstable”.
With his statement snowballing into a controversy, eliciting a sharp reaction from opposition party leaders, especially the Congress, Narayan said attempts are being made to present his statement by misinterpreting it.
Despite PM Modi’s appeal to focus on productive issues, Karnataka Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Nalin Kumar Kateel has once against made a very provocative remark by saying that the followers of 18th-century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan should not be allowed to live. He even called for “killing” them all. The Karnataka BJP chief said, ” Do you think this state requires Lord Hanuman devotees or descendants of Tipu? I am issuing a challenge – those who are ardent followers of Tipu should not remain alive on this fertile soil.”
According to media reports, Kateel, in his warning, said that the descendants of Tipu Sultan should be chased out to forests. Kateel reiterated that a majority of people think that Tipu Sultan was a bigoted tyrant who forcefully converted thousands. He also attacked the erstwhile Congress government in Karnataka for celebrating his birth anniversary for two consecutive years despite several protests across the state.
Bureau Report
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