A day after Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM celebrated Tipu Jayanti at the controversial Eidgah ground in Karnataka's Hubballu peacefully, BJP's Amit Malviya said Tipu Sultan was no freedom fighter that his birth anniversary needs to be celebrated but nothing more can be expected of Owaisi whose political ancestors were the Razakars. "But what better can one expect from Owaisi, whose political ancestors were the Razakars, who massacred and ethnically cleansed the Hindus in Hyderabad!" Amit Malviya wrote. Also Read | Congress leaders brandish swords during Tipu Jayanti celebration in Bengaluru
The celebration of Tipu Jayanti was announced by former chief minister Siddaramaiah when the Congress was in power. The date was fixed to be November 10, though Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary is on December 1. After the BJP government came to power, it cancelled Tipu Jayanti celebrations. However, the civic body gave a nod for the celebration to AIMIM at the Eidgah ground.
Raking the controversy, Amit Malviya on Friday said Tipu was a barbarian whose legacy is a blot. Celebrating Tipu Jayanti is an affront to thesensibilities of all Indians, including Muslims, the BJP leader said.
"Tipu was a barbarian, who inflicted untold miseries on the Kodavas in Coorg, the Syrian Christians in Mangalore, the Catholics, the Konkanis, the Nairs of Malabar, the Mandyan Iyengars, who were hanged in hundreds on Diwali, due to which their descendants don’t celebrate the festival to this day. He broke innumerable temples and Churches, forcefully converted people to Islam. His sword had inscription to launch jihad against the infidels," Malviya tweeted.
"He was no freedom fighter. He was taking the help of French, who were no less colonial than the British. Mysore would have become a French colony, like Pondicherry, if Tipu had won. He invited Zaman Shah from Afghanistan to invade India and establish an Islamic Caliphate wrote to Napolean to invade India and ensured French victory against British. How are these the traits of a freedom fighter?" the BJP leader tweeted.
{{/usCountry}}"He was no freedom fighter. He was taking the help of French, who were no less colonial than the British. Mysore would have become a French colony, like Pondicherry, if Tipu had won. He invited Zaman Shah from Afghanistan to invade India and establish an Islamic Caliphate wrote to Napolean to invade India and ensured French victory against British. How are these the traits of a freedom fighter?" the BJP leader tweeted.
{{/usCountry}}Several Congress leaders took part in the Tipu Jayanti celebration in Bengaluru's Guddadhalli. According to reports, Congress MLA from Chamarajpet, BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, addressed the media holding a sword.