Newly nominated BJP MLC H Vishwanath calls Tipu Sultan "son of soil"
Bengaluru: In a statement contrary to the party's stand, newly nominated Karnataka BJP MLC A H Vishwanath on Wednesday hailed controversial 18th century Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan as a "son of this soil" who fought against the British for freedom.
Vishwanath who defected to BJP after rebelling against the Congress-JD(S) alliance last year, also openly expressed his Ministerial aspirations.
"In the south there was Tipu Sultan, these are the people who sounded the bugle for the country's freedom, similarly Sangolli Rayanna (18th Century warrior and freedom fighter in Kittur) too, for their love towards freedom and sacrifice, we, this country have to bow down our heads," he told reporters here.
When pointed out that his party BJP has a different view on Tipu, the MLC said it was a different matter.
"Tipu Sultan does not belong to any party or cast or religion. Tipu Sultan is the son of this soil, so he should not be belittled, by limiting him to any religion," he said.
Soon after coming to power in Karnataka, the BJP government had scrapped the birth anniversary celebrations of Tipu Sultan, an annual government event the party had been opposing since 2015 when it was launched during the Congress regime led by Siddaramaiah.
The BJP and right-wing organisations have been strongly opposing Tipu, calling the erstwhile Mysuru king a "religious bigot".
Responding to a question reading the controversy involving lessons regarding plans to drop lessons regarding Tipu from school history textbooks, Vishwant said it was not dropped and was being included in the higher classes.
"We don't read properly it was shifted to other text books, the lessons were not removed. we have to read about Tipu Sultan also. We have to read about everyone including Mahatma Gandhi and others," he added.
Chapter on Tipu Sultan and his father Haider Ali were among those that had been dropped from the class 7 Social Science test books, following the Karnataka government's decision to reduce syllabi for 2020-21 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the government subsequently has asked the Karnataka Textbook Society (KTBS) to put on hold the trimmed syllabus of books that omitted chapters on Tipu Sultan, following criticism from various quarters.
Vishwanath also pitched himself for the Ministerial post, pointing to his 'vast' experience.
"I have expectations that I might be given a chance too. They should understand. I should be given (ministerial post) since there is my contribution too in BJP coming to power again," the leader said, referring to his past experience as a minister, MP and MLA.
However, he added the government had been brought to power for a better change and not merely for making them ministers.
Vishwanath, a former Minister, who was in JD(S) had defected to BJP after rebelling against the then ruling coalition, along with several other legislators.
He had subsequently lost the bypolls on a BJP ticket from Hunsur assembly constituency, which had fallen vacant following his disqualification, in December last year. He was last month nominated as a member to the legislative council.
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Rupali Chakankar resigns as NCP state women's wing chief
Mumbai (PTI): Under fire over her association with rape-accused 'godman' Ashok Kharat, NCP leader Rupali Chakankar on Friday resigned as the party's Maharashtra women's wing chief.
"Following a discussion over the phone with (NCP president and deputy Chief Minister) Sunetra Pawar this morning, I am tendering my resignation as state president of the Nationalist Congress Party's women's wing," she said in a post on X.
Earlier, Chakankar had stepped down as chairman of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women after her links with Kharat came to light.
In the letter shared on the social media platform, Chakankar said that she had clarified her stand on the Kharat case on the very first day, asserting that she had no direct or indirect connection with his financial dealings or alleged wrongdoings.
Her stand remains clear and firm, and the truth would emerge in the course of investigation, Chakankar added.
The allegations being levelled against her in the media without any evidence are "painful" but the truth would ultimately prevail, she said.
Kharat, who headed a temple trust at Mirgaon in Nashik district, was arrested on March 18 after a woman accused him of raping her repeatedly over three years. A total of eight FIRs have been registered against him since then.
Chakankar was a member of the temple trust.
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