Kolkata: Amid row over Tipu Sultan’s birth anniversary in Karnataka, the late Mysore ruler’s descendent Shahzada Anwar Ali Shah on Thursday demanded that the 18th century ruler’s birth anniversary be celebrated all over India.
Anwar Ali Shah also condemned the violence in Karnataka over Tipu’s birth anniversary and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the matter.
“Not only as descendent of Tipu Sultan, but as a Hindustani I condemn this. We urge the Prime Minister and Chief Minister of Karnataka to stop all this as early as possible. Whatever is being done to honour Tipu Sultan, he is deserving, he should be honoured. His anniversary should be celebrated all across the country,” Anwar Ali Shah told ANI.
Further, commenting of playwright Girish Karnad’s suggestion to rename Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport after Tipu Sultan, he said, “It is the love of the people. If people want it (to name airport after Tipu Sultan) then it should be done.”
The right wing groups such as VHP and Bajrang Dal are protesting against the celebration of birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan in Karnataka. These extremist groups are accusing Tipu Sultan, who fought against colonial rulers, as being communal.
A VHP activist was killed yesterday in Karnataka during the birth-anniversary celebrations of Tipu Sultan, which led to a violent clash between two groups.
The clashes broke out between VHP activists and a Muslim group following which the police had to resort to lathi-charge to control the situation. (ANI)