Tipu fest turns Karnataka government plan upside down

Tipu Jayanti celebration left a black mark on Siddaramaiah government

Bengaluru/Mysuru

: The first-ever Tipu Jayanti celebration, organised by the state government on Tuesday, left a black mark on the Siddaramaiah government, rather than earning accolades for it, with two lives lost in two days.

Violence in Madikeri in Kodagu, where Tipu is considered a traitor, claimed the life of Kuttappa on Tuesday, while a 20-year old resident of Chettalli in Kodagu, who had sustained injuries in Tuesday's firing, died in Mysuru on Wednesday.

While the Mysuru hospital said his name was Suhail Ahmed, Madikeri police claimed it was Saahul. He sustained injuries during group clashes at Neerkolli near Madikeri. The last rites of Kuttappa, who died on Tuesday, were conducted at Madapura near Madikeri on Wednesday and Union Law Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, party state president Pralhad Joshi, MPs Naleen Katil and Pratap Simha took part.

Representatives of the dominant Vokkaliga community took to the streets on Wednesday, protesting against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's silence over litterateur Girish Karnad's statement that the International Airport in Bengaluru should have been named after Tipu Sultan instead of Kempegowda.