Madikeri: Politics has overtaken everything else in the coffee land with both ruling Congress and opposition BJP trading charges on Tipu and his antecedents. Latest to join the row are the two local MLAs belonging to BJP who want the government to call off the celebrations at any cost.
Addressing the media jointly, MLAs Appachu Ranjaiah and K G Bopaiah termed the government move an insult to the people of the district and claimed that 99 percent of the Muslim businessmen were pleading them to cancel the celebrations as most of their occupations were affected due to the row as it was dividing people on religious grounds.
They said, they were not opposing Muslims but only Tipu birth anniversary celebrations and gave instances of “Muslim RTC title deeds carrying Kodava family names to prove religious conversions during Tipu’s regime”.
Opposing congress-led government’s “adamant” move, the MLAs listed the number of atrocities committed by Tipu on Kodava people and Christians during his regime.
Tipu, thus far ignored by successive congress governments which ruled for 55 years since independence has suddenly found favour under Siddaramaiah’s regime only to disturb peace and harmony, they alleged.
They ridiculed former congress MP and senior congress leader H Vishwanath for his statement and asked him to collect vital evidence to prove his claims.
They reminded the government of last year’s incidents and warned that if the tension flared up again on account of Tipu Jayanthi then the chief minister will be held totally responsible.
Women Too Will Fight against Tipu Jayanthi: Tejaswini Ramesh:
Leading a group of BJP women workers from the district, BJP leader and former MP Tejaswini Ramesh said the women from the district would take on the government on their own, if the celebrations were not called off.
The government cannot silence people with lathis and gunshots as the people of Kodagu are known to fight for self-respect and continuing that tradition the women from the district will take on the government, she warned.
Blacklist Nirmithi Kendra and Land Army in Constructions: MLA Bopaiah
Citing poor workmanship in the execution of 15 lakh toilet construction project works near Bhagamandala bus stand where roofing sheets had flown off, Virajpet MLA K G Bopaiah threatened to file criminal cases against the deputy commissioner who is incharge of both Nirmithi Kendra and Land Army for violating norms.
Recalling “substandard work” in Tithimathi hostel project, Bopaiah expressed displeasure against the district administration for awarding contracts despite resolutions in earlier ZP meetings not to allot works to both Nirmithi Kendra and Land Army and sought blacklisting of both the entities as they had “failed miserably” in the execution of works on several earlier occasions.
