Amidst protests by Bharatiya Janata Party, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists, the district administration celebrated Tipu Jayanti at the Zilla Panchayat auditorium on Thursday.
BJP, Bajrang Dal and VHP activists including MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and MLC Ganesh Karnik came in different groups to the Zilla Panchayat office that had been cordoned off by police from all sides. Mr. Kateel and VHP District President tried to enter from the main road while Mr. Karnik tried to enter from another from a side road. The police stopped the activists.
There was altercation between Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) K.M. Shantaraju and Mr. Kateel when the police tried to pull him into the waiting bus. Activists were arrested and taken away in four KSRTC buses to Panambur, Mangaluru East and Barke police stations.
There was heavy police police presence at the Zilla Panchayat office. Among the personnel posted at the venue included Kerala Armed police. Two drones fitted with high resolution cameras captured images. Videographers were used to capture people outside and inside the venue. Those entering the venue were screened.
Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment B. Ramanath Rai, Mayor Harinath, MLA Mohiuddin Bava, MLC Ivan D'Souza, and Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy Chairperson Janaki Brahmavar participated in the function. Congress activists, Zilla Panchayat employees and district-level officers attended the programme.
Tension in Belagavi
Our Belagavi Special Correspondent reprots:
The Tipu Jayanti celebration organised by the State government through the Department of Kannada and Culture was marked by protest and defacement of a poster depicting Tipu Sultan’s image, leading to sudden tension in Belagavi on Thursday.
A group of BJP youth leaders and workers led by city president Anil Benke staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office only to be taken into preventive custody by the police immediately. While the celebration was in progress at Kumar Gandharva Rangamandir, some mischievous elements defaced with black paint the image of Tipu Sultan erected at Sangolli Rayanna Circle (also known as RTO Circle) in the afternoon.
However, the police officials rushed to the spot and took out the poster, even as a Muslim cleric rushed to spot and staged a protest.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) G. Radhika has put all the police officials on alert and instructed them to step up patrolling in communally sensitive areas of Khadak Galli, Bhadkal Galli, Khanjar Galli, Darbar Gall, Shetty Galli and adjoining areas falling under Market Police Station limits besides those areas falling in Khade Bazaar Police Station limits.
'An asset': Minister Manju
Our Hassan Staff Correspondent reports:
Hailing Tipu Sultan as the ruler who provided land for the tillers, Minister for Sericulture and Animal Husbandry A.Manju said remembering his contributions was the duty of the present generation. He was speaking after inaugurating Tipu Jayanti celebrations in Hassan on Thursday.
Tipu Sultan held the reins of power at a young age. He fought against more than 200 palegars only to provide land ownership rights to the tillers. “Tipu had started what Indira Gandhi introduced in the recent years. Hundreds of people belonged to backward classes got land because of his vision”, he said. Taking a dig at people criticising Tipu as anti-Hindu, Mr. Manju said there had been records to show that he contributed funds to many Hindu temples regularly. “Tipu does not belong to any particular community. He is an asset to the state”, he said.
Further, he said there was no other ruler in history who pledged his two children in the interest of his state. “We cannot find such people in the present times when rulers are making efforts to bring their children also to politics.”
Hassan MLA H.S. Prakash hit out at those opposing the Tipu Jayanti programme stating, people of his time gave him the title 'Mysore Tiger' and that alone was suffice to gauge his contributions to society. “We have records to show that Tipu Sultan came to the rescue of Sringeri Mutt, which was attacked by enemies. He was the one who brought in the law banning cow slaughter. Those opposing him need to study history”, he said.
Vidya, Professor of History, delivered a lecture on Tipu Sultan. Senior officers of Hassan district administration and people’s representatives were present.
Hassan district administration had clamped prohibitory orders across the district in view of the programme. The police were deployed to avoid untoward incidents.
Detained
The Hassan police took into custody around 10 BJP leaders, including district BJP president H.Yogaramesh, who were protesting against Tipu Jayanti celebrations in the town on Wednesday. The leaders were arrested before the programme began and were released in the afternoon after the programme was over.
The leaders led by Yogaramesh raised slogans against the State government for holding the Tipu Jayanti, violating the prohibitory orders clamped by the district administration. BJP district general secretary Kattaya Ashok and other leaders Kantharaju, Malligevalu Devappa, Mahanthappa and Venugopal, were also taken into custody.
Arrested
Our Tumakuru Staff Correspondent reports:
Around 40 agitators including former Member of Parliament, G.S.Basavaraj, and district president of Bharat Janata Party, Jyothi Ganesh, were arrested as some of the agitators who were holding protest demonstration opposing the celebration of Tipu Jayanti tried to run towards the venue where the official programme was being held in Tumakuru city on Thursday.
The members of Tipu Virodhi Vedike staged a demonstration at the Town Hall Circle. Some of the members then tried to rush towards the venue of the official programme where they tried to clash with the youths of one community. Timely intervention and presence of Superintendent of Police, Karthik Reddy, at the spot prevented a clash between the people of two communities.
The police personnel dispersed the crowd and arrested the agitators of the Tipu Virodhi Vedike. They were later released.
