"Congress Doing Politics On Policies Of Tipu Sultan": Karnataka BJP Leader

Controversy over Tipu Sultan, the ruler of the erstwhile kingdom of Mysore, is refusing to die down with BJP National General Secretary CT Ravi accusing the opposition Congress of doing politics on the policies of the 18th-century warrior.

"Congress is doing politics on the policies of Tipu Sultan. We are doing politics on the policies of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar," BJP National General Secretary CT Ravi told ANI.

"There is a huge difference between them. Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar means development," Ravi added.

Last year, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had said that the people of the State wouldn't forgive Congress leaders for displaying a soft corner for terrorists and for talking about Tipu Sultan in order to appease the minority vote bank. The Chief Minister had made the remarks while addressing a Jan Sankalp Yatra that was attended by former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, in Pandavapura.

Leaders of Congress and BJP are engaged in a sort of war of words over Tipu Sultan who is being accused by certain outfits of killing Hindus.

In December last year, former chief minister Siddaramaiah hit out at BJP alleging the party of doing petty politics over the celebration of Tipu Sultan Jayanti.

"The people of the state are now convinced that the controversy and riots created by the BJP and the Sangh Parivar in the last few years, on the pretext of Tipu Sultan Jayanti celebrations, are politically motivated," Mr Siddaramaiah had alleged earlier.

Karnataka's Bharatiya Janata President (BJP) Nalin Kumar Kateel on Wednesday stroked a controversy by saying that the upcoming assembly election in Karnataka is all "about Tipu vs Savarkar."

Addressing the people on Wednesday, BJP state President Nalin Kumar Kateel said, "This (Assembly) election is all about Tipu vs Savarkar. They (Cong) allowed celebrating Tipu Jayanti which was not required and spoke disgracefully about Savarkar. I challenge Siddaramaiah to discuss if our country needs a patriotic like Savarkar or Tipu."

Meanwhile, BJP state president Kateel also challenged Siddaramaiah to debate on who is important for the state, Tipu or Savarkar.

"People need to understand if they need a patriotic like Savarkar or Tipu," BJP state President Nalin Kumar Kateel said earlier in the month.

Karnataka is set to hold Assembly elections later this year to elect all 224 members of the Legislative Assembly.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)