The Urban Development Minister R. Roshan Baig said that the BJP in its dream to come back to power in the State had started making desperate and impracticable promises to the people, the latest being 7.5 per cent reservation for the scheduled tribes.
Speaking to The Hindu in Kalaburagi city on Monday, Mr. Baig said as per the census figures of 2011, there were only 6.95 per cent scheduled tribe population in the State and the BJP is promising of providing 7.5 per cent reservation. “This only shows how desperate the BJP leaders have become.”
Accusing BJP of using money power to mobilise people for its political conventions, he said “Such gimmicks would not help the BJP to garner votes and come back to power in the state…They are day dreaming of coming back to power.”
He criticised the BJP leaders for their objections to the State government’s decision to observe the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan and said that there was no need for any certificate about the patriotism of Tipu Sultan, which is known to the world and acknowledged by renowned historians.
“Yesterday, I was in Nanjangud and visited the Nanjundeshwara Temple and there the priests of the temple recalled how Tipu Sultan used called the presiding deity Hakeem Nanjundeshwara. And the Pancha Linga which was gifted by Tipu Sultan is still kept in the temple.”
Mr. Baig said the BJP leaders who question the secular credential of Tipu Sultan should know that the even today in Sringeri Temple a special Sultan Arti is performed every day.
He pointed out that the Sriranganatha Temple in Srirangapatna which was the capital of Tipu Sultan was developed by Tipu. He said unlike other Jayanthis which is sponsored and organised by State government, holiday has not been declared for Tipu Jayanti and Muslims also did not demanded holiday on Tipu Jayanti. “The opposition by BJP to Tipu Jayanti is yet another attempt to polarise the people.”
