The Tipu Sultan Jayanti celebrations planned by the Congress-JDS government in Karnataka has been met with severe protests and condemnations. After reports that several social groups and the BJP are planning to disrupt the state-sponsored celebrations, the government has imposed section 144 in several places in the state.
Section 144 has been imposed in Hubli, Dharwad and Shivamogga and several places in Kodagu. The curfew has been announced from 6 am on November 10 to 7 am on November 11.
As the Congress-JDS government remains adamant on celebrating the Tipu Sultan Jayanti, it is being said that CM Kumaraswamy will not be attending the festivities. BJP and several Hindu groups, especially of the Kodagu region have been protesting against the state-sponsored celebrations of the birth anniversary of the 18th-century ruler of Mysuru.
The Congress government had started the Tipu Jayanti celebrations from 2015 in the state. The BJP and Hindu groups like Sri Ram Sene and Hindu Janajaguti Samiti have opposed the state-sponsored event commemorating the 18th-century tyrant.
BJP leader and MP Anant Kumar Hegde had clarified that he will not be attending the celebrations and had stated to the Karnataka government not to include his name in the list of invitees. Reports have also claimed the name of CM HD Kumaraswamy has been excluded from the official list of invitees as the Gowda believe that being a part of the Tipu Jayanti celebrations will bring them bad luck. However, his office has reportedly stated that the CM will miss the official events due to medical reasons.
Reports have stated that the official celebrations of Tipu Jayanti have been organised in Vidhana Soudha. G Parameswara, the state home minister, who will be heading the event in absence of the CM had announced that the event should be celebrated indoors and the posters and the banners of the event should be allowed there only.
BJP had been opposed to the Tipu Jayanti celebrations and has held protests in several areas claiming that the state-sponsored celebrations for a tyrant who was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Hindus in the Kodagu and Mysuru region is hurtful towards Hindus.
