Joining the row over Tipu Sultan’s birth anniversary celebrations, the Shiv Sena Thursday termed the 18th-century ruler of the erstwhile Mysuru kingdom as “ruthless” and accused the Congress government in Karnataka of following a “divisive policy”.
Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant also objected to parallels being drawn between Tipu Sultan and Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji.
“Tipu Sultan was a ruthless ruler who massacred Hindus and did not believe in the existence of any other religion except Islam. He had demolished temples and churches. And they say he was a good ruler ” Mr Sawant said.
He expressed surprise over Tipu Sultan being remembered “suddenly” so many years after Independence. “The government has surprisingly and suddenly remembered Tipu Sultan now after 67 years of India’s Independence. Today they remembered him Why ” he asked. “This is a divisive policy (of the Karnataka government),” he alleged. “Governments in Karnataka, whether previous ones or current, are known for the Sultani reign. Look at the way they treat Marathi people who are fighting in a democratic way for the last sixty years (over the border issue). So, naturally, they will adore the Sultan,” he said. He attacked those drawing parallels with Shivaji. “How can he be compared with Shivaji Maharaj who never did any wrong...,” he said.
