Former Karnataka chief minister and veteran BJP leader BS Yediyurappa has said he does not agree with “Tipu vs Savarkar” narrative and added he will campaign to ensure the party retains power in the state.
His remarks came days after Karnataka minister and BJP leader Dr C Ashwath Narayan urged people to “finish off” Karnataka’s “present-day Tipu Sultan" Siddaramaiah the same way Vokkalinga chieftains Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda killed the Mysore ruler in the 18th Century.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Yediyurappa, who resigned from the CM post in 2021 to make way for Basavaraj Bommai, reiterated that he will not contest upcoming assembly polls.
“I don’t agree with the narrative on Tipu vs Savarkar. It’s not Tipu vs Savarkar, but BJP’s policies and schemes will be the narrative," he said.
Karnataka BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel recently stirred up another controversy when he said staunch followers of Tipu Sultan should not be alive and the former ruler’s descendants should be driven away into the forests. He has said the assembly elections will be fought between the ideologies of Savarkar and Tipu.
“The Karnataka assembly elections will not be fought between Congress and BJP, but between the ideologies of Savarkar and Tipu," he had said.
BJP Will Get Absolute Majority in Karnataka: Yediyurappa
Yediyurappa said he has quit electoral politics but he will tour the state to help the BJP get an absolute majority in Karnataka.
“I told people of Karnataka, I’m not retiring from politics. I am not tired, I will campaign and bring BJP to power. I will tour the state. BJP will get an absolute majority… Quitting electoral politics was my decision, nobody forced me. I will convince people why I took this decision," he said.
“I resigned from the Chief Minister’s post to accommodate [Basavaraj] Bommai. My absence in electoral politics is a challenge, and the BJP must face these challenges. I won’t go back on my decision of not contesting polls," the Lingayat strongman said.
Attacking Congress leaders DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, the 79-year-old called them “corrupt” leaders. Their allegations of corruption against the BJP are null, he said.
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