Govt firm on not celebrating Tipu Jayanti: BS Yediyurappa

Bengaluru: Chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa was firm on Wednesday that his government would not celebrate  the birth anniversary of 18th century Mysuru king Tipu Sultan on November 10 and revealed it was also considering removing a lesson glorifying him in the state’s primary school textbooks  

The chief minister, who has completed 100 days in office, was addressing the Bengal-uru Reporters’ Guild and Bengaluru Press Club   in the city at their invitation.  

Soon after the BJP came to power in the state, it cancelled the Tipu Jayanti celebrations and he made it clear that there was no change in its stance. “I am 101 per cent sure that we will not celebrate Tipu Jayanti. The district authorities have been directed to give up the annual event. We will also consider removing a portion of a lesson glorifying him in the primary school textbooks,” he said.

Madikeri MLA, Appa-chu Ranjan had recently submitted a memorandum to primary and secondary education minister, Suresh Kum-ar, demanding the rem-oval of a lesson portraying the Mysuru king as a freedom fighter, calling it misleading as he was a “tyrant”,  who had killed innocent people in Kodagu and Mangaluru.

In response, Mr. Kumar had referred the issue to a committee, but the chief minister was categorical that the government would consider removing this portion of the lesson on Tipu in the textbook.

Mr Ranjan had also appealed to the state government to cancel the Tipu Jayanti celebrations in a memorandum to it.