Instead of dropping or retaining contents related to Tipu Sultan in school textbooks, the state government is contemplating teaching both "positive and negative" faces of the erstwhile Mysore king to school children. However, there will be no changes in textbooks for the academic year 2020-21.

Talking about it in a press conference on Monday, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar said, "There will not be any changes in textbooks for coming academic year, but for future changes, we have decided to constitute a comprehensive committee to take a decision on even teaching negative face of Tipu."

Explaining further about adding the content related to "other side" of Tipu in textbooks, the minister said, "MLA Appachu Ranjan had submitted several documents regarding the negative face of Tipu Sultan. There are documents submitted for incidents occurred during his ruling at Melkote, Chitradurga and Coorg (Kodagu district). We are constituting one more committee to study all these issues and decide whether Tipu is just a hero."

It can be recalled that BJP MLA Appachu Ranjan submitted a representation to minister Suresh Kumar three months ago, demanding dropping of any content on Tipu Sultan from school textbooks.

This request received support from even Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa besides several MLAs and MPs. Following the directions from the minister, the Karnataka Text Books Society had organised a meeting with Appachu Ranjan and subject experts who prepared history textbooks. The committee recently submitted its report recommending no changes.

"The expert committee has communicated to me recommending for setting up of a comprehensive committee to take a decision on the matter. They even mentioned that they prepared contents for textbooks based on the history," added Suresh Kumar.

It can also be remembered that, teaching the negative face of Tipu was one of the demands placed by Appachu Ranjan. During the meeting with subject experts, Appachu Ranjan demanded the government to drop the contents glorifying Tippu or to include contents about his negative face.