Permission for birth anniversary functions of Tipu rejected: Tamil Nadu police

Chennai: Tamil Nadu police on Friday informed the Madras High Court that permission was rejected to an outfit in Vellore district for celebrating the birth anniversary of 18th century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan on November 20 apprehending law and order problem as witnessed in neighbouring Karnataka.

This was informed in a counter filed by the police in Gudiyatham in Vellore district on a writ petition filed by Ismail, General Secretary of Thamizhaga Makkal Jananayaga Katchi, seeking a direction to the police to grant permission to hold the function.

Stating that Tipu Sultan was a freedom fighter who fought against the British, Ismail had stated that that some communal organisations are speaking ill of him just because he was a Muslim. The rejection order was duly served on the petitioner, police submitted.

When the matter came up on November 17, Justice M M Sundresh ordered notice to the jurisdictional police and adjourned the matter for further hearing today.

Police submitted that Vellore is a communally sensitive district and the administration has received specific intelligence inputs that some communal organisations are planning to create problems if the function was allowed.

If sanction was permitted to hold the function in one district, similar requests would come from other parts of Tamil Nadu, police contended. Police said the petitioner is involved in two criminal cases in Gudiyatham town police station.

Stating that it is the bounden duty of the police to maintain communal harmony and also public peace and tranquility, the counter said "it is for this reason that the police pray to this court not to grant permission to the petitioner as sought for. The cout adjourned further hearing in the case to Monday.

A VHP leader died and several others injured when violence had erupted over celebrations of the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan in Karnataka's Madikeri on November 10.