BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday mocked BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa by saying his complaints about celebrating Tipu’s birth anniversary was double talk.
Speaking at the celebrations, Siddaramaiah said BJP leaders conveniently forgot what they did when they were in power. ”Remember what you (Yeddyurappa) spoke at Tipu’s samadhi in 2012. Then you wore a Tipu peta and dress and carried a sword. Now you say you are going to ban celebrations in 24 hours if you come to power. Aren’t you ashamed?” he said.
Siddaramaiah proceeded to read out an entire letter by Jagadish Shettar when he was the chief minister appreciating Tipu while writing the foreword on a book on Tipu, which was released by the then government. ”Now they accuse me of politicking the issue. Is it me or them who are doing it,” he charged.
Siddaramaiah added that the celebrations were not for pleasing a particular community and that several successive governments have celebrated the occasion.
“Nobody applies to be born under a particular caste or religion. This government is secular. I pray to God that he give these BJP/RSS people some sense. These people are solely responsible for setting the fire of communalism in the society. Last year, they did not have a problem, but this year they do have a problem because they have the 2018 elections in mind,” the CM said.
He also promised that government will host an event with more fanfare next year.