Madikeri (Karnataka): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has defended the government’s decision to commemorate Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary even as he slammed RSS and “other communal forces” for opposing it.
Mangaluru United Christian Association, too, has protested against the celebrations, alleging that Tipu was responsible for the destruction of many churches in the coastal region and also that Christians were harassed under his rule.
Reacting to the flare-up, Mr Siddaramaiah blamed the bandh call for it, saying it was an attempt to create disturbance and law and order problem and hamper peace. “There was no mistake on the part of the government. They should not have called a bandh,” he said.
He said Kuttappa died because he fell while running, “not because of stone pelting or lathicharge”. “The situation is under control and police bandobast has been strengthened. ADGP law and order is at the spot, IG is also there... Situation is totally under control,” he said.
On BJP’s charge of holding the government responsible, he said, “They are the ones who are responsible. They have tried to disturb (Tipu) Jayanti celebrations organised by the government by organising bandh, by staging protest...”
Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Tuesday described the death of its leader Kuttappa during clashes at a town in Karnataka as “brutal killing” and asked the Centre to “protect Hindus against such acts of religious intolerance”.
“We condemn the brutal killing of a Hindu, staging a peaceful demonstration, by a mob,” VHP international working president Praveen Togadia said in a statement.
JD-U launched a hard-hitting attack on the BJP over the mishap saying the saffron party has “not learnt any lesson. “In spite of “humiliating” defeat of NDA in the recent election of Bihar Assembly, the communal forces connected with BJP have not learnt a lesson,” said Sharad Yadav.
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