Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad received a threat on Twitter that he would meet with the same fate as rationalist MM Kalburgi for his remarks that Bengaluru international airport should have been named after Tipu Sultan rather than the city's founder, Kempe Gowda
Mysuru-Kodagu BJP MP Pratap Simha received a threat to his life in a Facebook post for his remarks over the violence at Madikeri which had claimed the life of local VHP leader Kuttappa
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TIPU CONTROVERSY
Karnad, Simha
receive death threats
BJP demands Karnataka CM's ouster
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PTI
Bengaluru/Delhi
Amid the row over the birth anniversary celebrations of erstwhile Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan, Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad and BJP MP Pratap Simha have received death threats, prompting BJP to attack Congress and demand resignation of Karnataka's Siddaramaiah government.
Karnad, the outspoken Kannada playwright-actor, and BJP's Mysuru MP Prathap Simha have allegedly received death threats on the social media for their comments on Tipu Sultan even as the death toll in Tuesday's violence at Madikeri over official celebration of the birth anniversary of the 18th century King rose to two with a youth succumbing to bullet injuries.
The Karnataka government had on Tuesday officially celebrated the birth anniversary of Tipu, opinion on whose reign is sharply divided, with some historians describing him as a patriot who fought against the British East India Company, but a section of people of the state accusing him of religious persecution of both Hindus and Christians. BJP and some other Hindu right wing organisations had boycotted the celebrations and held protests.
Karnad, who came under severe attack for his remarks that Bengaluru international airport should have been named after Tipu Sultan rather than the city's founder, Kempe Gowda, received a threat on Twitter that he would meet with the same fate as rationalist MM Kalburgi, who was gunned down recently by two men at his residence in Dharwad in north Karnataka.
Mysuru-Kodagu BJP MP Pratap Simha also received a threat to his life in a Facebook post for his remarks over the violence at Madikeri which had on Tuesday claimed the life of local VHP leader Kuttappa.
As the two came under attack, BJP demanded Karnataka Chief Minister's resignation following death of two persons in violence over Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary celebrations, and took a swipe at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi asking if she will now lead a march and seek Siddaramaiah's ouster.
BJP said Siddaramaiah was unable to handle the law and order situation, and sought a probe into the death threats to Karnad and Simha. It also questioned the delay in arresting the killers of rationalist writer M M Kalburgi.
“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah must resign. Two persons have died and he has not been able to handle the law and order situation. Will Sonia Gandhi go to Bengaluru and march against this? Will she demand Siddaramaiah's resignation?” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters in Delhi.
Gandhi had on November 3 taken to the streets and led a march of its top leaders to Rashtrapati Bhavan to protest against the climate of growing intolerance in the country and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “endorsing” incidents of hate.
Simha had questioned the government and the police version that Kuttappa had died in a fall while jumping a boundary wall. The Lok Sabha MP has been severely critical of Tipu Sultan amidst claims of “persecution” of Hindus under his reign.
The post on a Facebook page, 'Mysuru Tiger Shahide Millat Mahan Tippu Sultan' allegedly showed Simha's photograph next to that of Kuttappa and threatened he will meet the same fate as the VHP leader if he continues to play politics by making “anti-Muslim comments”.
