On Tuesday, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has sparked a row after he praised Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan paid tribute to Tipu Sultan on his death anniversary on May 4. While praising Khan, Shashi Tharoor Tweeted, “One thing I personally know about Imran Khan is that his interest in the shared history of the Indian subcontinent is genuine and far-reaching.”
The Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan, had said, “Today 4th May is the death anniversary of Tipu Sultan – a man I admire because he preferred freedom and died fighting for it rather than live a life of enslavement.” Tharoor lauded Khan for remembering Tipu Sultan but expressed disappointment that “it took a Pakistani leader to remember a great Indian hero” on his death anniversary.
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“He read; he cares. It is disappointing, though, that it took a Pakistani leader to remember a great Indian hero on his punyathithi,” Tharoor said, responding to Khan’s tweet. This is not the first time Imran Khan has praised the ruler of the erstwhile Mysore kingdom. In February, the Pakistan prime minister lauded Sultan’s gallantry at a joint sitting of parliament convened in the wake of increased Indo-Pak tension after the Pulwama attack.
Tipu Sultan, also known as Tipu Sahab or Tiger of Mysore was famous in history for introducing administrative innovations during his rule, including his coinage and a new land revenue system which initiated the growth of the Mysore silk industry. He was considered a pioneer in the use of rocket artillery and had deployed the Mysorean rockets against Britishers during the Anglo-Mysore Wars.