BJP claims Mangalorean Christians, Kannadigas are opposed to Tipu Jayanti,

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 21 October accused the Congress-led Karnataka government of celebrating Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary just for 'vote bank politics' and said that the people of 'Coorg, Mangalorean Christians and the Kannadigas' are opposed to celebrate the birthday of the 18th century ruler of Mysore.

BJP MP from Karnataka, Shobha Karandlaje, said Tipu Sultan was 'anti-Kannada and anti-Hindu' and the state government should not celebrate this day, which is on November 10.

"The Karnataka government made this decision last year to celebrate the Jayanti, but the Coorg people, the Mangalorean Christians and all the Kannadigas are opposing it," she claimed.

"It is all right if the Congress party wants to celebrate it, but it should not be done with the money of the people. But Karnataka government is doing this vote-bank politics. The election is near and they want to appease Muslims by celebrating the day," Karandlaje added.

The MP said she has asked the District Collector of her constituency not to mention her name on the invitation cards.

Earlier in the day, Union Minister of State for Skill Development, Ananth Kumar Hegde wrote a letter to the secretary of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as well as to the District Collector of Uttara Kannada district asking them not include him in Tipu Jayanti celebrations.

The state government last year decided to make the event an annual affair even as the day was marked by violence in 2015.

The Siddaramaiah government views Tipu Sultan as a patriot, who fought against the British until his death in 1799. However, the BJP and the RSS differ and regard Tipu Sultan as a tyrant monarch.

-ANI