BENGALURU/SHIVAMOGGA: A political scuffle has broken out over posters of Tipu Sultan and Veer Savarkar put up for Independence Day celebrations, with miscreants damaging flexes of the erstwhile ruler and Hindu ideologue, and sparking a sharp reaction from the Congress.
“The cutout of freedom fighter Tipu Sultan was destroyed by miscreants. Tipu’s Palace is under the Archaeological department. As part of Independence Day celebrations, special decorations are being put up and Tipu’s contribution to the Freedom Movement is well known. The Central government is paying homage to those who fought for the freedom of the country, but it is disheartening to see such bigotry,” KPCC president DK Shivakumar said.
On the BJP’s allegation that Tipu Sultan was being honoured to appease minorities, Shivakumar said, “People of all communities fought for freedom. Their idea was to bring freedom to the country, and not about caste and religion.”
Meanwhile, former CM B S Yediyurappa, when asked about Tipu Sultan’s poster, said, “I don’t want to discuss the incident. I would like to comment only about the Savarkar incident. I will comment after I find out the facts.’’
He was responding to the defacing of a portrait of Veer Savarkar on Saturday. Some youths had objected to Savarkar’s portrait being kept among freedom fighters at an exhibition organised by BJP-ruled Shivamogga City Corporation. They alleged that the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi was of small size while the portrait of Savarkar was kept in the gallery, and portraits of Muslim freedom fighters like Abul Kalam Azad had been omitted.
After the incident, BJP workers staged a protest and lodged a police complaint against the youths. Later, some youths from a Hindutva organisation tore up a poster of Tipu Sultan put up by the Karnataka Congress at Hudson Circle in Bengaluru.
Yediyurappa told reporters at his residence here on Sunday that the youths had committed an unforgivable offence by removing Savarkar’s portrait. “Police have already arrested the accused. The world celebrates Savarkar but this incident has pained everyone. I request the people to maintain peace and not take law into their hands,” he said.