On Tuesday, the Karnataka BJP MLA KS Eshwarappa registered a complaint at the police station after he received a threat letter warning that his ‘tongue will be cut’ if he continues to call the 18th-century Mysuru ruler Tipu sultan a ‘Muslim Goonda’.
According to the reports, the threat letter was sent to Eshwarappa at his residence on Wednesday. “Some cowards have sent an anonymous threat letter that I have called Tipu Sultan as a Muslim gunda and warned me that they will cut off my tongue,” Eshwarappa stated.
Karnataka | BJP MLA from Shivamogga, KS Eshwarappa files complaint after allegedly receiving a threat letter saying that his tongue will be cut off if he calls Tippu Sultan, a “Muslim Gunda” once again. pic.twitter.com/TfxB6kML0y
— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2022
He added that he was not at all scared by such threat letters and called the anonymous coercers ‘cowards’. “I have never been scared nor will I be. But as a member of the assembly, I have approached law enforcement authorities, and given a complaint to investigate and find this coward who wrote this letter. I am confident that they will take action,” he added on August 25.
Tensions in the state of Karnataka erupted after Independence Day over the posters and banners featuring Tipu Sultan and Veer Savarkar. In Shivamogga, at Amir Ahmad Circle, one of the groups wanted to place a picture of Veer Savarkar on a high mast light pole while the other group had planned to install a picture of Tipu Sultan.
Reportedly, the other group who wanted to tie the picture of Tipu Sultan instead of Veer Savarkar made several attempts to replace or damage the picture of the latter. The Police then resorted to a mild lathi charge to bring the situation under control and disperse the crowd.
BJP MLA KS Eshwarappa meanwhile had made alleged remarks saying that Hindus in Karnataka’s Shivamogga were being deliberately targeted by Muslim goons and jihadis. Clarifying his earlier statements, Eshwarappa on August 25 said that not all the Muslims were goondas. “I want to tell elders of the Muslim community, I’m not saying all Muslims are goondas. Elders of the Muslim community have made efforts for peace in the past, I want to tell them to advise the youngsters who are indulging in goondaism, if not the government will act and they should be ready to face it”, he said.
Earlier in February also, the Karnataka BJP MLA had reacted first to the brutal murder of Bajarang Dal worker, Harsha Jingade and had called the attackers ‘Muslim Goondas’. He also led the funeral procession despite objections from the Shivamogga district administration which resulted in escalated tensions in the area.
To note, on August 16, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) was also questioned by some Islamists and opposition politicians for displaying the poster of Veer Savarkar at Kempegowda Metro Station in Majestic. The poster went unnoticed for days, however, a passenger amid the current controversy questioned the BMRCL’s decision to celebrate Savarkar.
In the current case, Eshwarappa who received the threat letter on Wednesday has said that he has never called all Muslims ‘Goondas’, and he’s not scared of such threats. The BJP MLA hopes for the law enforcement authorities to take proper action in the case.
