The Chitradurga district administration has taken all security measures to avoid any untoward incident during the Tipu Jayanti scheduled on Thursday. The Rapid Action Force, along with the police, has been deployed across all major roads and circles in the city and Section 144 of Cr.PC has been clamped across the district till 10 p.m. on Thursday.
Since members of Rajaveera Madakari Nayak Gourava Samrakshana Vedike and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had decided to launch an agitation and workers of the party and supporters had also decided to join the protest, the police have set up check-posts on all roads to keep vigil on all vehicles entering Chitradurga city round the clock.
BJP workers and Rajaveera Madakari Nayak Gourava Samrakshana Vedike activists who tried to stage a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Wednesday were taken into preventive custody. The agitators alleged that the State government was trying to misguide the people by projecting Tipu Sultan as a freedom fighter. “Tipu fought against the British to protect his kingdom and not because of his love for the country,” they said.
The agitators demanded that the Governor should immediately intervene in the matter and advise the government to not celebrate Tipu Jayanti as there will be law and order problem. Though the State government is aware of the situation, it has decided to celebrate Tipu Jayanti to please a particular community to get votes in the Assembly elections, they said. The agitators were released around 5 p.m. and were given clear instructions to not disturb peace during Tipu Jayanti.
Security has been tightened in all taluks in the district and the authorities concerned have been instructed not to allow any protests against Tipu Jayanti and ensure ample security measures to avoid any untoward incidents during the programme.
