Bengaluru, Oct 21 (Agencies): In a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister’s Secretariat and Uttara Kannada deputy commissioner, Union Minister of State for Skill Development Anantkumar Hegde asked them to not include his name on the list of invitees for the programmes during the Tipu Jayanti celebrations in the state.
"(I have) Conveyed (to) Karnataka government not to invite me to shameful event of glorifying a person known as brutal killer, wretched fanatic and mass rapist," the BJP leader said in a tweet.
The event will be held on November 10.
Reacting sharply to the step taken by Hegde, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said he should not have written the letter as he is a part of the government.
Siddaramaiah further added that the invitations would be sent to all the leaders in the Centre and state and it was their call to either accept or reject the invitation.
The CM said, "As part of government he shouldn't have written it. The invitation will be sent out to all central and state leaders, up to them to accept or reject."
Talking on the King of Mysore, Tipu Sultan, Siddaramaiah said the event is being turned into a political issue and that Tipu had fought all the four wars against the British.
The CM said, "It is being made into a political issue. There were 4 wars against British and Tipu fought them all.”
BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje came in support of Hegde and called Tipu Sultan anti-Kannada and anti-Hindu.
Karandlaje said “Tipu was anti-Kannada & anti-Hindu, all the Kannadigas are opposing it."
The BJP MP also accused the Karnataka government saying that Tipu Jayanti is being celebrated for vote-bank politics.
She said, "Told govt you shouldn't celebrate Tipu Jayanti from govt's side but they are into vote-bank politics."
Even for the Tipu Jayanti in 2016, Hegde had asked the Deputy Commissioner of Uttara Kannada not to include his name in the programme invitations.
The BJP in Karnataka has been opposing state-sponsored Tipu Jayanti celebrations.