Karnataka HC Turns Down Demand for Stay on Tipu Sultan Jayanthi

Police have been asked to tighten security in the state ahead of Tipu Jayanthi.

Tipu Sultan confronts his British enemies during the siege of Srirangapattanam.

(Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)

Karnataka High Court, on Tuesday, rejected the plea for an interim stay on Tipu Sultan Jayanthi celebrations in the state. The High Court turned down the plea, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Manju Chinappa, a resident of Kodagu district.

In the plea, apart from an interim stay to restrain the state government from celebrating Tipu Sultan Jayanthi throughout the state, Chinappa had questioned the legality of such a celebration as well.

While the High Court declined the interim stay, the hearing on the legality of celebrating Tipu’s legacy will continue. The High Court has given the Karnataka government four weeks’ notice to file objections to the petitioner’s contention against the celebration of Tipu Jayanthi.

Also Read: President’s Praise for Tipu Sultan Leaves Karnataka BJP Red-Faced

Talking to The Quint Manju Chinappa said that he raised the objections against the celebration, as Tipu Sultan was responsible for the (alleged) atrocities against the Kodava race.

We asked for the interim bail because there were incidents of violence in Kodagu district because of the celebrations last year, but HC turned down our plea. But we will continue to fight case questioning the state’s decision to celebrate Tipu Sultan’s legacy

Manju Chinappa, to The Quint

Karnataka High Court.(Photo: The News Minute)

Karnataka government has been celebrating the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan, the erstwhile ruler of Mysore, for the past two years. While the government has maintained that it was celebrating a king, who fought against the British and invented the Mysore rockets, BJP has been vehemently opposing the celebration portraying Tipu as a mass murderer.

Also Read: Tipu Sultan: The Original Rocket Man of India

With a green signal from High Court, Karnataka government can now go ahead with the Tipu Jayanthi as planned, on 10 November. The top brass of the state police has been asked to tighten security across the state in view of the celebration.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been issued in Udupi district from 8 November to 11 November in view of Tipu Jayanti. Other districts in Karnataka too, which saw violence during the celebrations last year, are expected to clamp down on similar orders in the coming days.

Also Read: Tipu Sultan’s Kin to Sue BJP’s Ananthkumar Over Jayanti Tweet