Bengaluru: State government celebrating Tipu Jayanthi is equivalent to Central government celebrating Aurangazeb Jayanthi, opined Mohandas Pai, Head of Manipal education society, opposing the State government’s resolve to go ahead with Tipu Jayanthi celebrations.

He said the State government should not take the initiative to celebrate Tippu Jayanthi as the ruler was cruel and fundamentalist. Tipu was involved in religious conversions in Kodagu, twenty thousand catholic believers were kept in prisons in Srirangapatna during his regime here as his insignificant contribution to Sringeri Mutt has been blown out of proportion, Mohandas Pai remarked.

Pai further said, he did not oppose such celebrations, but the government should not play politics over such sensitive issues.

Instead, celebrating birth anniversaries of Wodeyars, Sir M Vishweshwaraiah and Sir Mirza Ismail would be meaningful, he felt.