HC refuses to stay Tipu Jayanti but imposes restrictions
- The Karnataka High Court has refused to stay the State Government circular regarding celebrating Tipu Jayanthi on Nov 10.
- It has instructed the State Government to all necessary precautionary measures to assure that there are no untoward incidents, as this is a delicate issue.
- The Chief Minister has issued orders not to publish the names of those legislators who have asked not to include their names in the invitation for Tipu Jayanthi.
FollowThe Karnataka High Court has refused to stay the State Government circular regarding celebrating Tipu Jayanti on Nov 10. However, it has instructed the State Government to all necessary precautionary measures to assure that there are no untoward incidents, as this is a delicate issue, reported Kannada Prabha.
The State Government on its part has already made arrangements for tight security at sensitive places like Chitradurga, Kodagu and Udupi and other districts. In certain districts processions and rallies are banned. The High Court was hearing to a Public Interest Litigation filed by one K P Manjunath, a resident of Hisolduru in Kodagu against celebrating Tipu Jayanti in Kodagu and demanding retracting the circular issued by the government.Â
The divisional bench headed by provisional Chief justice H G Ramesh and justice P S Dinesh Kumar heard the PIL and said Tipu Jayanti is a sensitive issue and needs to go into detailed debate and also take the State Government’s reaction. Hence at this stage the HC cannot intervene, it said.
Recalling the violence that occurred last year at Kodagu previous year during Tipu Jayanti, the State Government has made elaborate preparations to avoid any untoward incidents. Thousands of police personnel have been deputed. Over 60 temporary check posts and 700 barricades have been put up. Over 100 CCTV cameras and 50 drone cameras are being set up.
From Nov 7 to 10 Section 144 has been imposed at Chitradurga. Police personnel from surrounding 4 districts have been deputed. The police did not permit even the silent march proposed on Tuesday.
In Udupi too prohibition has been imposed from Nov 7 to 11 morning.  In Mangaluru, RAF battalion with 125 cadets and 6 KSRP battalion has arrived. In other districts like Hunasuru, Koppala, Ballari and Gadag rallies and processions are banned.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister has issued orders not to publish the names of those legislators who have asked not to include their names in the invitation for Tipu Jayanti.  Especially Ananthakumar Hegde’s name has been dropped from the Tipu Jayanti at north Karnataka. However, the invitation for Belagavi program is already printed with Hegde’s name. Hence he announced that he will attend the program but will speak against Tipu Sultan. This has generated a lot of interest in people.
The Chief Minister Siddaramaiah gave the instructions not to include the names of those who have asked not to print their names in the invitation at a meeting of the DDCs, zilla panchayath CEOs held in Bengaluru.
Earlier the government had said it would print their names as a protocol but when Shobha Karandlaje, Ananthakumar Hegde, Nalin Kumar Kateel and others announced that if their names are printed they would attend and speak against Tipu, Siddaramaiah decided to change his stand and not print their names.
