Karnataka high court doesn’t grant stay on Tipu Jayanti celebrations

Bengaluru: The Karnataka high court passed an interim order on the cancellation of Tipu Jayanti celebrations and said the state must take precautionary measures to see that celebrations, if any, will be done.

Divisional bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice SR Krishna, during the hearing of the PIL, said the court won’t be granting a stay and the state government must consider its decision taken on July 30 nullifying Tipu Jayanti celebrations.  

Justice Oka said the court has recorded the findings and there is also a government order as to why these jayantis are celebrated. Then Congress government had stated reasons for celebrating Tipu Jayanti so as to uphold the values of secularism in the constitution and thus these considerations may not have been made by the current government as cancellation decision was taken in a day. He also added that it should not look like the decision was taken arbitrarily.

The high court pronounced that by way of interim order the court directs the state government to reconsider its decision taken on July 30, 2019, and take appropriate decision in the light of observations made in this order.

The court directed the state government to take appropriate decision in 2 months from today and get back to the court by January 3, 2020.

However, the court said the government can file objections, can state details of jayanti celebrations of personalities at state level and orders if any, of celebration of these festivals.

 The divisional bench has ordered the state government to take all precautionary measures to see that celebrations, if any, will be done.

As of now, any individual or private organisation can celebrate Tipu Jayanti on November 10, 2019, whereas the state government can decide whether state celebrations will take place on Tipu Jayanti.

• Tipu Jayanti
• BJP
• Karnataka high court
• Karnataka state government
• Tipu Jayanti celebrations