Tipu Jayanti Celebrations Dominate Udupi ZP Meeting
Udupi: The issue of Tipu Jayanti celebrations dominated the general body meeting of Zilla Panchayat here on October 24.
Raising the issue, Bailoor ZP member Sumith Shetty said that the state government should drop celebrating the Tipu Jayanti. Tipu Jayanti is nothing but to attract Muslim votes. We have witnessed 3 deaths in clashes during the Tipu Jayanti last year. We respect Santha Shishunal Sharif, Kittel and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam for their immense contribution towards the society. The government can celebrate their Jayanti but not of Tipu Sultan because he was intolerant. The government has to rethink and drop its plan of celebrating Tipu Jayanti. The Zilla panchayat should pass the resolution to drop the celebration of Tipu Jayanti in Udupi district. Ruling BJP members supported Sumith Shetty’s demand.
The Opposition leader Janardhan Tonse objected to Sumith Shetty’s demand and said that in Udupi district, the Zilla panchayat is not celebrating the Tipu Jayanti. From two years the government is celebrating the Jayanti and in the district level, the district administration is celebrating it under the Kannada and culture department. In this celebration, there is no role of the Zilla Panchayat. We are welcoming the government’s move and opposing Sumith Shetty’s demand. There were heated arguments over celebrating Tipu Jayanti during the meeting.
ZP CEO Shivananda Kapasi said that it is a government programme and the Zilla panchayat cannot stop the celebrations.
MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary said that there is a mix opinion about celebrating Tipu Jayanti and it should be recorded.
Belman ZP member Reshma Uday Shetty said that the state government has decided to collect the toll on Karkal – Padubidri State Highway. In 28 km of the highway, 52 Humps have been installed. It is the duty of the state government to construct good roads along with other basic facilities. Without providing proper roads and basic facilities, the government should not collect the toll. Before operating the toll gate the government should inform local representatives, she added.
Responding to Reshma Shetty’s question PWD Engineer D V Hegde said that the contract for the road construction work has been given to Bengaluru based Company and there is no information on collecting the toll.
ZP president Dinakar Babu chaired the meeting. Vice president Sheela K Shetty, standing committee chief Babu Shetty, Uday Kotian, Sashikanth Padubidri and others were present.
This hue and cry because Tippu is a sultan not an Acharya or D’cunha, that is the reason BJP hell bent to protest. If we can celebrate Kittur Rani. Obavva, Basawa, why can’t Tippu Sultan, he has nothing to do with Islam but a Karnataka warrior and his contribution to the state a lot and started the war against British bravely where as some timid Maratas were serving British with fear. Just consider these facts and do the necessary things to celebrate with grandeur.