Mysuru: As part of a State-wide agitation against Tipu Jayanti celebrations planned by the State Government on Nov.10, the City and District BJP staged protests at different venues in city this morning. The City BJP staged a demonstration at Gandhi Square.
Accusing the JD(S)-Congress coalition government of celebrating Tipu Jayanti only as part of vote bank politics, the BJP workers maintained that CM H.D. Kumaraswamy’s double standards were exposed as he had opposed the same celebrations when Siddharamaiah headed the Congress government.
Claiming that Tipu was a tyrant who butchered Hindus and also as anti-Kannada, the protestors raised slogans against the coalition government. Asking the government to cancel the celebrations, the workers warned that the government would be held responsible for any untoward incidents that may happen during the celebrations.
City BJP President Dr. B.H. Manjunath, former KEA Chairman B.P. Manjunath, former MLC G. Madhusudhan, MLA L. Nagendra, former Mayor Sandesh Swamy, leaders Raju, Prabhakar Shinde, M.P. Rajesh and others took part.
In another protest, the district BJP staged a demonstration in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s bust opposite the District Law Courts Complex. District BJP President M. Shivanna, leaders Nagaraj Malladi, Thotadappa Basavaraj, Hosahalli Venkatesh, Arun Kumar Gowda, Balakrishna, Jagadish Gowda and others took part.
Congress stages counter protest
Even as the BJP staged demonstration against Tipu Jayanti celebrations, Congress leaders and workers staged demonstrations at Gandhi Square and Chikka Gadiyara to counter BJP.
Accusing the BJP of politicising Tipu Jayanti, the Congress workers, while welcoming the decision of the coalition government to celebrate Tipu Jayanti, lashed out at the BJP claiming that Tipu was a valiant freedom fighter who died while fighting the British.
Former MLAs Vasu and M.K. Somashekar, former Ministers B.K. Chandrashekar and C.H. Vijayashankar, former Mayors Modamani, T.B. Chikkanna and Pushpalatha Chikkanna, City Congress President R. Murthy, Corporator Pushpalatha Jagannath and several other party leaders took part.
Prohibitory orders in Srirangapatna
With the government all set to celebrate Tipu Jayanti tomorrow, the Mandya District Administration, as a security measure, has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 in politically sensitive Srirangapatna taluk of the district for two days from this morning. Srirangapatna has the tomb of Tipu Sultan. The ban orders will be in effect from 8 am today till 8 am on Nov. 11.
This post was published on November 9, 2018 6:43 pm