New Delhi: In a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister’s Secretariat and Uttara Kannada DC, Minister of State (MoS) for Skill Development Entrepreneurship Anantkumar Hegde on Friday asked them to not include his name on the list of invitees for the programmes during the Tipu Jayanti celebrations in the state. The event will be held on November 10.
Reacting sharply to the step taken by Hegde, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said he shouldn’t have written the letter as he is a part of the government. He further added that the invitations would be sent to all the leaders in the Centre and State and it was their call to either accept or reject the invitation.
Speaking on the King of Mysore, Tipu Sultan, Siddaramaiah said the event is being turned into a political issue and that Tipu had fought all the four wars against the British. “As part of govt he shouldn’t have written it. The invitation will be sent out to all central & state leaders, up to them to accept or reject. It is being made into a political issue. There were 4 wars against British & Tipu fought them all,” CM Siddaramaiah was quoted as saying by ANI.
Supporting Hegde, BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje spoke against Tipu Sultan calling him ‘anti-Kannada’ and ‘anti-Hindu’. She further added that the opposition against the celebrations was a unanimous call by all the Kannadigas. Calling it vote-bank politics, she said that despite her plea to the state government not celebrate the occasion, nobody paid heed to it. “Tipu was anti-Kannada & anti-Hindu, all the Kannadigas are opposing it. Told govt you shouldn’t celebrate Tipu Jayanti from govt’s side but they are into vote-bank politics,” Karandlaje was quoted as saying by ANI.
Last year as well, as the MP for Uttara Kannada Hegde had asked the Deputy Commissioner of Uttara Kannada not to include his name in the programme invitations. The BJP in Karnataka has been opposing state-sponsored Tipu Jayanti celebrations.
