Tipu Jayanti celebrated at Hubballi Idgah Maidan amidst opposition from Sri Rama Sene, police detain Pramod Mutalik

On getting permission from Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC), members of AIMIM and others celebrated the birth anniversary of Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan in the sensitive Idgah Maidan in Hubballi on November 10 amid opposition by members of Sri Rama Sene, led by its chief Pramod Mutalik, who was detained by the police as a precautionary measure just a few minutes prior to the celebrations.

On November 9 night, amid objections by opposition leaders, Hubballi-Dharwad Mayor Iresh Anchatageri had announced that conditional permission would be given to AIMIM and Samata Sainik Dal, which had sought permission to celebrate ‘Tipu Jayanti’ at Idgah Maidan. He had also made it clear that although personally he and his party are opposed to celebration of Tipu Jayanti, the municipal corporation could not refuse permission for the event. The corporation would not be celebrating Tipu Jayanti as the Karnataka Government had cancelled it, he had said.

The same night, AIMIM Dharwad district president and HDMC councillor Nazeer Ahmed Honyal had issued a statement distancing AIMIM from the permission sought for Tipu Jayanti. He clarified that the permission sought by AIMIM district joint secretary Vijay Guntral was in his individual capacity. Mr.. Honyal had even said that AIMIM is opposed to permitting Tipu Jayanti in the Idgah Maidan and in case of any disturbance whatsoever AIMIM would not be responsible.

Sri Rama Sene members detained before they could enter Idgah Maidan

Anticipating trouble, on November 10 the police deployed personnel in and around Idgah Maidan near Kittur Chennamma Circle.  They barricaded the qibla wall (wall facing Islam’s holy city of Mecca) in the Idgah Maidan.

When members of Sri Rama Sene, led by its chief Pramod Mutalik, approached the Idgah Maidan, they were detained by the police and taken away from the spot.

Tipu Jayanti celebrated in Hubballi

Amid heavy police bandobast, Mr. Vijay Guntral, AIMIM leaders Imtiyaz Bilepasar, Abdul Hameed Bepari, Abdul Razak and others celebrated the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan. They garlanded a portrait of Tipu Sultan and showered flower petals on it. They spoke of the contribution of Tipu Sultan and his fight against the British empire.

Soon after the celebrations were over, police told the gathered people to disperse and also told the organisers to remove the portrait of Tipu Sultan from the premises.

Pramod Mutalik accuses BJP of ‘low-level politics’

Before he was detained, Pramod Mutalik accused the BJP of ‘low-level politics’ by permitting Tipu Jayanti. He termed the decision to allow the celebration as wrong, and said he would approach the court seeking a ban on celebration of Tipu’s birth anniversary.