Bengaluru, October 30: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday said that the state government will strike off references to Tipu Sultan from history textbooks taught in schools. "About Tipu Jayanti, we are going to drop everything and we are also thinking to drop everything in the textbooks about him (Tipu Sultan)," Yediyurappa told reporters. BJP MLA Appachu Ranjan had proposed to remove references to Tipu Sultan from history textbooks. Tipu Sultan: 5 Facts on Mysore Ruler Known for Inventing World's First War Rockets.

Yediyurappa's statement came two days after Karnataka Education Minister Suresh Kumar wrote to Managing Director of Karnataka Textbook Society, directing him to submit a report on Ranjan's proposal. Ranjan, who represents Madikeri assembly constituency, also wrote a letter to Kumar in which he stated that Tipu has been portrayed as a freedom fighter in the textbooks and history should not be written with false facts.

In his letter, the BJP legislator claimed that Tipu came to Kodagu, Mangaluru and other parts of Karnataka "to convert people". "He changed names of places - Madikeri to Jafarabad and Mangaluru to Jalalabad. He looted many temples and Christian churches as well. In Kodagu, he converted 30,000 Kodavas," Ranjan said. Immediately after coming to power, Yediyurappa abrogated the annual celebrations of Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary.

Karnataka government had started organising events to celebrate Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary during former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's tenure. The BJP, during its stint as the state's Opposition, had consistently opposed the annual Tipu Jayanti celebrations, calling it the commemoration of a ruler who "massacred" scores of Kannadigas.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 30, 2019 01:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).