Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court directed the state government to reconsider its order dated July 10 on scrapping the official celebrations of Tipu Jayanti and to take appropriate decision in two months.
The division bench, headed by Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka, ordered that anyone, including the petitioner and other organisations which have approached the high court, are allowed to celebrate Tipu Jayanti on November 10. Also, the state has been directed to take all precautionary measures for peaceful celebrations of Tipu Jayanti by private parties.
The court directed the government to reconsider its order in the light of observations made by the Supreme Court which is to uphold the constitutional values of secularism with a well-informed decision.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Bilal Ali Shah, a resident of Lucknow and who claims to be Tipu Sultan’s descendant, along with organisations, like the Tipu Sultan United Front and Tipu Rashtreeya Seva Sangha, Bengaluru.
The court adjourned the matter to January 2020 with directions to the state to file an additional statment of objections in the matter, along with details of any other official celebrations and jayantis of other eminent personalities including the orders passed by it to officially celebrate such jayantis.
The petitioner’s advocate argued that the state government's decision was arbitrary and was not a well-informed change in policy, which was done in just a day's time.
The court took note of the advocate-general's submission that the state will not prohibit the celebrations of Tipu Jayanti by private people or organisations.
