'Celebrate Tipu Sultan Jayanti in Pakistan': Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to Congress's Siddaramaiah in Karnataka poll rally

While campaigning at Virajpet assembly of Kodagu district in poll-bound Karnataka, Sarma said if Siddaramaiah wanted to celebrate the Tipu Sultan Jayanti, he should do so in Pakistan.

"80,000 people sacrificed their lives. And today Siddaramaiah is saying that they will celebrate Tipu Sultan Jayanti. If you want to celebrate Tipu Sultan Jayanti go and celebrate it in Pakistan and Bangladesh. But you don't have any right to do it in India," Sarma was quoted as saying by ANI.

"If Congress will come then slowly Karnataka will also become PFI valley," he added.

"Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar are family members of Tipu Sultan," he said addressing the poll rally for his party BJP.

"I come from Assam and in Assam 17 times Mughals attacked us but Mughals could not defeat us, we remain undefeated. Today I bow to this holy land because the Kodagu people also defeated Tipu Sultan many times," he added.

Sarma’s comments come after Congress stirred political controversy by promising in its manifesto a ban on Bajrang Dal in Karnataka if it won the assembly polls, on the lines of the Popular Front of India.

BJP has alleged that Congress and the Left have tried to glorify Tipu Sultan, the erstwhile 18th-century ruler of Mysore, in a bid to garner votes.

The debate on Tipu Sultan started in 2015 when Congress’s Siddaramaiah became Chief Minister of Karnataka and celebrated Tipu Jayanti. Since then it has taken centre stage in the political corridors of Karnataka.