Tipu Sultan is a divisive historical character. | Photo Credit: Twitter

Bengaluru: Karnataka government has said that celebrations for the 18th-century king Tipu Sultan will be held on schedule despite protest by the opposition BJP. However, HD Kumaraswamy government has now quietly shifted the venue of celebrations from Vidhana Soudha to a more apolitical venue.

The BJP and Sri Ram Sena supporters have been protesting against the Karnataka government's move to mark November 10 as Tipu Jayanti.

​

Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara has said that the government is once again celebrating the Tipu Jayanti and in view of that he had a meeting with the police officers and reviewed security arrangements to maintain law, order, and peace in the state.

The BJP has described the Mysore King as a tyrant. Union MoS Anant Kumar Hegde has said that there is no need to celebrate a tyrant and added that he was anti-Hindu. Reacting to Hegde’s statement, Parameshwara called it his personal opinion.

BJP spokesman S Prakash said when previous Congress government decided to celebrate Tipu Jayanti they faced widespread protest and now the BJP has decided to oppose it tooth and nail in the coming days.

The NCP believes that Tipu's contribution in favour of the country cannot be ignored. NCP leader Majid Menon said that the BJP needs to read history properly and added that Tipu is not an enemy of India. “If the BJP is calling Tipu Sultan an enemy of the country only because he was a Muslim king then they are truly mistaken,” he further stated.

CM HD Kumaraswamy has warned that anyone trying to disrupt the official function will face the law and said that it is important to respect all communities and accused the BJP of trying to disturb the harmony of the state