Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday announced the State government would officially celebrate Tipu Sultan’s birth anniversary every year.

Speaking to the media, after releasing a book titled ‘Tipu Sultan: The Crusader for Change’, written by historian B. Sheikh Ali and published by Karnataka Gazetteer Department, here, he said Tipu Sultan was an exemplary administrator, who was an example to the entire nation.

The Chief Minister said that Tipu, known as ‘Mysore Tiger’, had fought against British rulers much before the country got independence. He was a secular administrator not only for the then Mysore Kingdom but for the entire country.

‘Tipu was termed termed as communal by some critics but he had donated wholeheartedly for construction of Hindu temples and the society,’ Mr Siddaramaiah asserted.

The Chief Minister complemented Prof Ali for penning the book on a great warrior even at the age of 90.

Prof Ali, in his address, said that Tipu Sultan had mentioned himself as a citizen of India in a letter written to Napoleon Bonaparte. ‘It shows his love and patriotism towards India,’ he added.