Death threat to Karnad over Tipu comment, apologizes
Writer and actor, Girish Karnad received a death threat on Twitter following his controversial statement on Tipu Jayanti. Another complaint was filed against him by an NGO for allegedly insulting Hindus and the Vokkaliga community. Karnataka CM said that the remarks were personal and not endorsed by the state government. Karnad apologized for his comments saying he was sorry if anyone was hurt.
Tipu Sultan aka the Tiger of Mysore, was a ruler of the Mysore Kingdom. He ruled Mysore between 1782 and 1799 when he was killed by British forces while defending his fort in Srirangapatna. His land revenue system played a great role in the growth of Mysore skill industry. His military manual Fathul Mujahidin was considered a pioneer in the use of rocket artillery.
The Karnataka government celebrated Tipu Sultan's 265th birth anniversary, who ruled Mysore. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah who was present during the celebration event, said that Sultan was a secular ruler and a modal king. He said that they were celebrating Tipu Jayanti to show that good work done by people in the past can be appreciated irrespective of the person's caste.
Speaking at the Tipu Sultan anniversary celebration, Girish Karnad said that Tipu Sultan was discriminated against because he was a Muslim. He said that the Bengaluru airport should be renamed after Tipu Sultan instead of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda. He added that Kempegowda was not a freedom fighter while Sultan was. BJP leader R Ashoka demanded the government to make its stand clear on the issue.
Girish Karnad is an Indian actor, director and writer who is the recipient of many awards such as Jnanpith Award, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.
A VHP activist was killed during a clash between two groups during a protest march in Madikeri. The march was to protest against the government sponsored Tipu Jayanti celebrations on November 10. Karnataka CM said that the activist had fallen into a deep gorge and had succumbed to severe head injuries. 30 other VHP activists were also heavily injured during the incident.
Tipu Sultan was considered a tyrant who destroyed temples, killed non-Muslims and forcibly converted thousands of people to Islam. According to Mysore Gazetter, Tipu had destoyed over 8000 thousand temples in South India during his rule. According to the book Voyage to East Indies, Sultan tied hundreds of naked Hindus and Christians to legs of elephants till their bodies were crushed to pieces.
