Bengaluru: Social Welfare Minister of Karnataka Dr H C Mahadevappa has kicked up a row saying that it was Tippu Sultan, who had laid foundation stone to construct KRS dam near Mysuru.
The minister was laying foundation stone to construction of Ambedkar Bhavan at Srirangapattana, which was ruled by Tippu Sultan till he died in 1799 and said that though the foundation stone written in Persian language was still in front of KRS dam, no one dares to tell the historical truth.
Stating that Tippu Sultan was tolerant towards all the religions, Dr Mahadevappa said that Tippu was a great social reformer, who had abolished the `Devadasi' system (leaving the girls to gods) and distributed land for dalits and backward class people.
However, the minister's statement drew sharp reaction from the opposition BJP. The construction of the dam began in 1911 and was completed in 1923, when Fourth Krishna Raja Wadeyar was ruling Mysuru provinces. The dam, which was earlier called Kannambadi Katte, was renamed after Krishna Raja Wadeyar as Krishna Raja Sagar. Tippu had died way back in 1799.
Reacting to the statement, Royal Scion of Mysuru and the Member of Parliament Yaduvir Wadeyar said that it sounded like a joke. ``Such statements should come from either historians or research scholars. Not from the politicians, who have eyes on votes,'' he said.
Reacting sharply to the statement, Opposition Leader in Karnataka Assembly R Ashok lashed out that the Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka was plotting to rename Krishna Raja Sagar as Tippu Sagar.
``Tippu was a traitor and died way back in 1799. If he had laid the foundation stone to KRS, his name would have been remembered then itself. The construction of KRS dam started only in 1911 and completed in 12 years. Trying to attach Tippu's name to KRS dam is an insult to Krishna Raja Wadeyar, who contributed to the development of Mysuru region in such a big way,'' Ashok said.
Terming Tippu as a traitor, Ashok said that Tippu had written to the Persian Emperor to invade India and make it an Islamic country. A religious fanatic, Tippu had killed thousands of Hindus and destroyed many temples, he added.
