Tipu Sultan a brutal killer, mass rapist:Union minister Hegde to Karnataka govt

New Delhi: BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Skill Development Ananth Kumar Hegde on Saturday wrote a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's secretary and District Collector of Uttara Kannada district asking them not include his name in Tipu Jayanti celebration that will held on November 10.

After witnessing major clash in 2015 in state over the celebrations of Tipu Sultan Jayanti, the Karnataka Government last year decided to make the event an annual affair.

The decision was taken by the government, based on inputs and detailed discussions held with historians and academicians. The event will be organised at the Ravindra Kalakshetra.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condemned Union Minister of State for Skill Development Ananth Kumar Hegde for his letter to not include his name in Tipu Jayanti celebration and said, as a part of the government, he should not have done it.

"As part of the government, he shouldn't have written it," Siddaramaiah said.

"It is being made into a political issue. There were four wars against British and Tipu fought them all," he added.

Siddaramaiah said the invitation will be sent out to all the central and state leaders and added that it is up to them to accept or not.

The Congress government views Tipu Sultan as a patriot, who fought against the British. However, the BJP and the RSS views are completely different from those of the state government, who regard Tipu Sultan as a tyrant monarch and for his biasness against Hindus.

Three people lost their lives in clashes in Kodagu in 2015 after outrage by anti-Tipu Sultan activists calling him a tyrant.