“It is unfortunate that we are celebrating the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan under police protection. He sacrificed his life and children fighting the British. This is happening because some people are hell bent on projecting Tipu as anti-Hindu which is condemnable,” Raju Algur, MLA, has said.
Speaking after inaugurating the Tipu Jayanti celebrations here on Thursday, he said that no one should question the patriotism of Tipu, who laid down his life on the battleground to free the country from the British rule.
“Today, some people are questioning his patriotism and calling him anti-national and anti-Hindu. The fact is that Tipu was neither anti-national nor anti-Hindu. If he was anti-Hindu, then there was no need for him to reconstruct temples and fund religious institutions of Hindus,” Mr. Algur said.
Mr. Algur was one of the legislators who had urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to celebrate Tipu Sultan’s birth anniversary.
Delivering a special lecture, U.N. Kuntoji, lecturer, Secab PU College, said that Tipu was concerned about agriculture and social reforms.
He said that whenever foreign delegates used to visit him, Tipu used to ask them about the new species of crops they had discovered which could be introduced in his kingdom.
“Tipu had imposed a ban on consumption of alcohol. Such orders can be issued only by a ruler who has social concerns,” Mr. Kuntoji said.
Makbul Bagwan, MLA; K.B. Shivakumar, Deputy Commissioner, M. Sundresh Babu, zilla panchayat chief executive officer, S.N. Siddaramappa, Superintendent of Police, Neelamma Meti, Vijayapura Zilla Panchayat president and Vijayapura Mayor Ansifatima Bakshi were present.
