President Kovind’s reference to Tipu Sultan as martyr is inappropriate: Hindu Janajagruti Samiti

Kovind on Tuesday, while addressing the Karnataka legislators at Vidhana Soudha, praised various historical personalities, including Sultan, for their contributions to the state.

The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), the sister outfit of radical Hindu organisation Sanathan Sanstha, has objected to President Ram Nath Kovind’s reference to 18th century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan as a martyr who died fighting the British.

Ramesh Shinde, national spokesperson, HJS, said that calling Tipu Sultan a martyr was inappropriate. “The statement of the President should be based on the opinion of the country. The President’s duty is to make more responsible statements. To call Tipu Sultan as martyr without reading the anti-Hindu, bloodied history of his rule is absolutely inappropriate,” said Shinde.

HJS alleges that Sultan was responsible for forcibly converting lakhs of Hindus to Islam. Kovind on Tuesday, while addressing the Karnataka legislators on account of an event marking the diamond jubilee of Vidhana Soudha, praised various historical personalities, including Sultan, for their contributions to the state.

“Tipu Sultan died a heroic death fighting the British. He was also a pioneer in the development and use of Mysore rockets in warfare. This technology was later adopted by the Europeans,” said Kovind.

The President’s speech comes after Union minister Anantkumar Hegde had described Sultan as a brutal killer, wretched fanatic and mass rapist. He also asked the Karnataka government to exclude him from Tipu Jayanti celebrations, which is celebrated on November 10 every year.

The HJS in June held a convention of around 150 Hindu outfits to draw up a programme to establish a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ in India by 2023. Additionally, some of the Sanathan activists were accused of taking part in the murder of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar in August 2013.

The Congress has blamed the BJP-led government both in the Centre and the state for encouraging forces like HJS and Sanathan Sanstha. “Today, they are questioning the wisdom of the President of India. These forces are given a free hand by the present governments and they are only poisoning the country with their communal agenda,” said Maharashtra Congress spokesperson, Sachin Sawant.