Bengaluru: Shahzada Ismail Shah, the 27-year-old seventh great-grandson of Tipu Sultan, thanked Chief minister Siddaramaiah and Minister for Minority Welfare and Wakf Qamarul Islam on Wednesday, for celebrating Tipu Jayanti as a government programme.
Speaking to the media persons, Shah said, “We are deeply hurt by the controversy that unfolded over the State government organising Tipu Jayanti celebrations.”
“Although we do not want to comment on the violence or the political opposition, we want people who are opposing it to first study Tipu’s history and then comment,” he said.
Shah’s brother-in-law, S. Syed Mansoor (married to Shah’s sister, Shehzadi Rahimunnissa), who resides in Bengaluru, said the controversy was created by some people who do not know about Tipu’s history.
“We were very happy that the Karnataka government declared Tipu Jayanti as a government programme for the first time. But, the controversy following the celebrations that resulted in the loss of two lives has hurt us. Whatever their political affiliations, two lives have been lost unnecessarily,” Mansoor said.
Commenting on Tipu’s generous donations towards several temples and mutts, Mansoor said, “We have spoken to the seers of these mutts, including the seer of Adichunchungiri Mutt. All of them are aware of Tipu’s secularism and have a good opinion about him. We will meet them again shortly.”
