BJP MLA Appachu Ranjan demands removal of lesson on Tipu Sultan from school textbooks
Bengaluru, Oct 23: Madikeri BJP MLA Appachu Ranjan on Wednesday demanded that the lesson on Tipu Sultan, the controversial 18th century ruler of erstwhile Mysore kingdom, be removed from textbooks as it carries wrong information.
"The lesson on Tipu Sultan contains wrong information.
It should be removed. I have written to Education Minister S Suresh Kumar that he (Tipu Sultan) is not a freedom fighter," Ranjan told PTI on Wednesday.
He said Tipu Sultan had a "history of plundering and expanding his kingdom" and run his administration inPersian language.
"Hence, he is not a freedom fighter," headded.
"I came to Bengaluru to personally hand over the letter to the minister, but he is in Belagavi.
Once he comes here, I will give it to him with documents and other proof, substantiating my claim," the MLA said.
Ranjan alleged that Tipu Sultan had converted more than 20,000 Christians and 10,000 Kodagu residents.
"Even today, Muslims in Kodagu district have their family names identical to the Hindu Kodavas", he added.
The MLA alleged that Tipu had also changed the names of many towns and localities and gave them Persian names.
"Records are available that he had also plundered many temples.Hence, wrong information should not be spread and only the truth should be brought out.
That's why I say he is not a freedom fighter," Ranjan added.
The BJP government in Karnataka on July 30 cancelled the annual birth anniversary celebrations of Tipu, being organised since 2015.
The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government had started the Tipu Jayanti celebration as an annual affair on November 10 since 2015.
It was continued by the Congress-JD(S) coalition government headed by H D Kumaraswamy last year, despite opposition from BJP and others.
Kodagu district was marred by widespread protests and violence during the first official celebration in 2015, during which a Vishwa Hindu Parishad worker Kuttappa had died.
BJP and right wing organisations had stiffly opposed Tipu Jayanti celebrations, calling the ruler a "religious bigot".
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Country seething in anger against BJP, its 'dictatorial' rule to end on June 4, says Kejriwal
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday claimed the entire country is seething in anger against the BJP and will end its "dictatorial" rule on June 4, the counting day of the Lok Sabha polls.
Addressing several street meetings at different locations in West Delhi, he claimed the BJP would soon arrest AAP leaders such as Raghav Chaddha, Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj to crush the opposition.
The AAP national convener made the comments on the day his aide Bibhav Kumar was arrested in connection with the alleged assault on party MP Swati Maliwal. He held 'Nukkad Sabhas' in Najafgarh, Vikaspuri, Janakpuri, Hari Nagar and Madipur soon after addressing a press conference over Kumar's arrest.
Kejriwal said that he and all AAP leaders would go to the BJP headquarters on Sunday and dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrest all of them at once.
The chief minister appealed to the people to vote for his party to stop him from going to jail again. "It's in your hands. If you want me to go to jail choose the BJP, otherwise choose the AAP."
"They (BJP) are after us, they arrested Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and me. Today they arrested my PA, now they will arrest Raghav Chadha, Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj," he added.
Kejriwal said the Lok Sabha poll results will prove to the BJP that the entire country is angry with its "dictatorial" rule. He exuded confidence that people will oust the BJP from power.
"People of the country are angry with them. People are fed up with inflation, unemployment and corruption," the AAP national convener said.
AAP's West Delhi Lok Sabha seat candidate Mahabal Mishra was also present during the street meetings.
Kejriwal, who was arrested in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, has been granted interim bail till June 1 by the Supreme Court to campaign in the Lok Sabha polls. He will have to surrender and go back to jail on June 2, a day after the last phase of polling in the general elections.
