Tipu Birthday

The birthday of 18th century ruler Tipu Sultan will no longer be celebrated as an official festival in Karnataka, in keeping with a directive from the BS Yediyurappa-led BJP government today. The BJP opposes any celebration related to Tipu Sultan on the grounds that he was a "tyrant".

Tipu Sultan died in 1799, but it was only in 2015 that the state government decided to officially celebrate his birthday while describing him as one of the earliest freedom fighters. However, the decision met with resistance from the right wing which sees him as a bigoted tyrant who forcefully converted thousands and killed thousands.

The Karnataka government's controversial plan to celebrate the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan is a policy decision, the Karnataka High Court has said, turning down a petition that had challenged the decision. The verdict came a day after the court's comment that Tipu Sultan was not a freedom fighter but a monarch who was merely safeguarding his o...

Armed security outside a writer's house, protests on the street, calls for shutdowns - the fallout of the Karnataka government's decision to officially celebrate Tipu Sultan's birthday is still being felt in the state.

The Congress state government in Karnataka knew that its decision to celebrate Tipu Sultan's birthday would have its detractors, but seems to be getting more criticism than it bargained for.

Was Tipu Sultan, the 18th Century Tiger of Mysore, a heroic freedom fighter or an intolerant king? His wars against the British have many considering him an early freedom fighter. But the Karnataka government's decision to celebrate his birth anniversary has become controversial.

Even as Sangh Parivar outfits in Karnataka have threatened to disrupt the first ever government celebration of 18th century king Tipu Sultan's birthday on November 10, RSS today described him as "the most intolerant ruler" and lent its support to protesters of the event.

The birthday of 18th century ruler Tipu Sultan will no longer be celebrated as an official festival in Karnataka, in keeping with a directive from the BS Yediyurappa-led BJP government today. The BJP opposes any celebration related to Tipu Sultan on the grounds that he was a "tyrant".

Tipu Sultan died in 1799, but it was only in 2015 that the state government decided to officially celebrate his birthday while describing him as one of the earliest freedom fighters. However, the decision met with resistance from the right wing which sees him as a bigoted tyrant who forcefully converted thousands and killed thousands.

The Karnataka government's controversial plan to celebrate the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan is a policy decision, the Karnataka High Court has said, turning down a petition that had challenged the decision. The verdict came a day after the court's comment that Tipu Sultan was not a freedom fighter but a monarch who was merely safeguarding his o...

Armed security outside a writer's house, protests on the street, calls for shutdowns - the fallout of the Karnataka government's decision to officially celebrate Tipu Sultan's birthday is still being felt in the state.

The Congress state government in Karnataka knew that its decision to celebrate Tipu Sultan's birthday would have its detractors, but seems to be getting more criticism than it bargained for.

Was Tipu Sultan, the 18th Century Tiger of Mysore, a heroic freedom fighter or an intolerant king? His wars against the British have many considering him an early freedom fighter. But the Karnataka government's decision to celebrate his birth anniversary has become controversial.

Even as Sangh Parivar outfits in Karnataka have threatened to disrupt the first ever government celebration of 18th century king Tipu Sultan's birthday on November 10, RSS today described him as "the most intolerant ruler" and lent its support to protesters of the event.