‘This election is all about Tipu vs Savarkar’: Karnataka BJP Prez Kateel

Karnataka BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel on Thursday sparked a fresh row after he said the state's upcoming assembly election is all about ‘Tipu vs Savarkar’.

Karnataka BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel on Thursday sparked a new controversy after he said the upcoming assembly election in the southern state is all about Tipu vs Savarkar.

Karnataka BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel at an event in Karnataka on Thursday.

The Lok Sabha MP was addressing a public gathering in Karnataka when he blamed the opposition Congress for allowing Tipu Jayanthi celebrations in the state, calling them unnecessary. He also challenged the leader of opposition and former CM Siddaramaiah to discuss who is more important to the country, Savarkar or Tipu.

“This (Assembly) election is all about Tipu vs Savarkar. They (Cong) allowed celebrating Tipu Jayanti which is not required, and spoke disgracefully about Savarkar. I challenge Siddaramaiah to discuss if our country needs a patriotic like Savarkar or Tipu,” Kateel said.

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Kateel had found himself in the middle of another row in January after he asked his party workers to focus on issues like ‘love jihad’ instead of speaking about sewage and roads.

“So I am asking you people, don't speak about small issues like roads and sewage. If you’re worried about your children’s future, and if you want to stop love jihad, then we need the Bhartiya Janata Party. To eliminate love jihad, we need the Bharatiya Janata Party,” he had said at the ‘Booth Vijaya Abhiyana’ event in Mangaluru last month.

Karnataka is due for an assembly election later this year.

(With ANI inputs)