Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Feb 15: After the row over Tipu Jayanti celebrations, the state government has now given the opposition another reason to target it in the election season, this time relating to the organizing of 'Bahmani Utsav'.

While minister Dr Sharan Prakash Patil asserted that the government will hold this Utsav, chief minister Siddaramaiah said that he is unaware of it. "I do not know anything about minister Patil's statement about Bahmani Utsav. You better ask him about it. The claim that Rs 30 crore is being provided for this Utsav is false," Siddaramaiah said.

The minister however stated that many organizations had in the past, demanded to hold Rashtrakoota Utsav and Bahmani Utsav. "I do not understand why people are opposed to it now. Many perhaps think of Bahmani Utsav as birth anniversary celebration of some Sultan. This is not a birthday celebration, but a festival meant to cement harmony and national integration," he clarified.

BJP has jumped to its feet to criticize this initiative, terming it as an attempt towards minority appeasement. It has warned of organizing strong protest against the proposed Utsav. MP, Shobha Karandlaje, said that the government had stubbornly celebrated Tipu Jayanti in spite of opposition, and that it is planning Bahmani utsav to strengthen its voter base in north Karnataka. She said that her party will fight tooth and nail against the proposed Utsav.

Shobha said that minister, D K Shivakumar, has stated that the state government is not organizing Bahmani Utsav and that the BJP is spreading falsehood. At the same time, addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, she said that the government departments and district administration of Kalaburagi have made arrangements to celebrate it on March 6.

She said that so far the concept of 'Bahamani Utsav' was not there, and that the government is planning to disturb law and order situation in North Karnataka through this measure and strengthen its voter base. She felt that celebrating festival in the name of Bahmani Sultan is an 'insult' to Kannadigas as Bahmani kings had destroyed Vijayanagar empire during which period gold ornaments were sold by roadside in huge quantities by heaping them and selling them by measuring them with the help of utensils. "As per my information, cultural programmes will be held at Kalaburagi fort, and literary meet at the Gumbaz," she said.