Bengaluru: Decision to celebrate Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary on November 10, 2015 by the Karnataka government has stirred a controversy after right-wing groups backed by RSS described the ruler as 'most intolerant'.
Raising voice against the government's move, V Nagaraj, Kshetreeya Sanghachalak (President), said "Tipu was the ruler of Mysore state but he was the most intolerant person as recorded in the history. One should not misunderstand us because it is there in the history that he was intolerant. You can go through his statements. What was written in his sword? It clearly mentioned that he will kill the kafirs".
Countering the allegations, N V Narasimhaiah, a pro-Tipu activist and historian said, "Tipu has done a great service to this country and he was a secular ruler. He protected many temples from being looted. The famous Shankara Mutt at Sringeri was once looted and the pontiff ran away out of fear. But it was Tipu who brought him back and gave protection".
The Tipu Sultan Sangharsh Samiti (TSSS) also demanded that the ruler's secular credentials should be given its due recognition.
State Minister for Information and Publicity R. Roshan Baig said: "We celebrate Kanaka Jayanti, Valmiki Jayanti, Basava Jayanti. On same lines the state government will celebrate Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary. It is unfortunate that a section of right wing groups are opposing this. He was the only king who died while fighting with the Britishers".
Meanwhile, right-wing groups had threatened to disrupt government's plan to celebrate the birth anniversary of the ruler.
Tipu sultan built his palace near Vishnu temple in Bengaluru and many historians believe that all his palaces are next to temples as he believed in inter-religious harmony. However, despite many pro-Tipu theories, it is still remain a raging issue over his role in maintaining harmony.
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