Bengaluru: Former chief minister and BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa on Tuesday said the celebration of Tipu Jayanti will be cancelled within 24 hours if BJP come back to power in the state.
Addressing BJP activists who gathered at Maurya Circle to protest the state government celebrating Tipu Jayanti, B S Yeddyurappa said the BJP and other nationalist organizations would oppose the celebration of Tipu Jayanti on November 10. “We will organize protest on November 10 across the state opposing the celebration of Tipu Jayanti. The state government has to take up the responsibility if any untoward incident takes place on November 10,’’ Yeddyurappa said.

He said some communal and anti-national forces were responsible for the murders of BJP and RSS activists in the state. “I want the state government to ban such communal forces. I fully endorse Shobha Karandlaje’s state on the role of Minister Roshan Baig in the murder of RSS activist Rudresh. Minister Roshan Baig has been trying to frighten Shobha Karandlaje by filing a defamation case,’’ he said.

Speaking on the occasion, former deputy chief minister R Ashok blamed the state government for making arrangements to celebrate Tipu Jayanti on November 10. “We have no objection if the state government celebrates birthdays of former president late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and Santa Shishunala Sharifa.  We do not want the state government to celebrate the birthday of Tipu who was instrumental in damaging number of Hindu temples. I want to remind Chief Minister Siddaramaiah about the fate of Vijay Mallya who brought Tipu sword and Sanjay Khan who made a film on Tipu. I think Siddaramaiah also have to face similar fate if he goes ahead with the celebration of Tipu Jayanti,’’ Ashok said.