Bengaluru: It seems like the Karnataka government is all set to celebrate Tipu Jayanti for the second time on November 10. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, over the weekend, convened a high level meeting with the home minister and top cops of Karnataka Police to take stock of the law and order preparation ahead of the celebrations. Also Read: Why Not Let Tipu Sultan Rest in Peace? Court Asks Karnataka Govt on Jayanthi Plans
The government is leaving no stone unturned by having a heavy police presence to avoid any untoward incident; leaves of all Karnataka State Reserve Police personnel have been cancelled for the week.
The state has been allocated seven companies of central forces that will be deployed in sensitive areas across the state.
“Eleven hundred people have been taken under preventive custody, checkpoints in the state borders have been strengthened and CCTV cameras have been installed in different places. The state police are working to maintain the law and order situation. The officers of the rank of ADGPs and IGPs have been assigned districts, and will be deployed there. We have asked for more central forces and hope to get assistance from them,” said Om Prakash, Karnataka DGP & IGP.
Meanwhile, the opposition voices have grown stronger asking the planned celebrations to be stopped.
Section 144 has been imposed in Kodagu starting from Monday evening till 8 am on 11th November. Kodagu was the epicentre of last year's protests where two men were killed. The District Collectors have been asked to monitor the situation and take a call on implementing Section 144 on the ground.
However, pro-Tipu Jayanti organisations on Monday came together showing their support for the state.
Amid the protesters was noted journalist Gauri Lankesh who said: “We are proud of Tipu Sultan, he was a ruler who fought bravely and we consider him the pride of Karnataka.”
A petition which was filed in the Karnataka High Court is yet to reach a conclusive end. As per the court's order, the petitioner’s counsel met the Chief Secretary of Karnataka and gave a presentation about why the planned celebrations must be called off.
The petitioner, who is a farmer from Kodagu, said in the court that Tipu Sultan was a tyrant, bigot and had massacred hundreds of people from his district.