Belagavi (Karnataka) March 20
Karnataka Congress on Monday came down heavily on ruling BJP leaders for "creating new historical characters Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda '' and allegedly propagating that they killed erstwhile Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan.

"This is a distortion of history for elections. This is an insult to the Vokkaliga community," stated Congress state president D.K. Shivakumar here.

Addressing reporters, he slammed Union Minister for State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Shobha Karandlaje, BJP MLA, National General Secretary C.T. Ravi and Minister for Higher Education, IT and BT, Dr C.N. Ashwath Narayan. "These leaders are cooking up new history," he allleged.

"Characters of Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda are newly created and caste colour is given. They are distorting history which is incorrect. I condemn it. I urge Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji (Vokkaliga pontiff) to take up lead to protest and call for a meeting. He should not allow people to sow the seeds of poison in society," Shivakumar explained.

The act of writing history in "Whats App university" by BJP should be condemned. The attempts of the saffron party to bring discord in the society should be stopped. In this direction Nirmalandanatha Swamiji should call a meeting, he urged.

Shivakumar further pointed out that the meeting should not be held for compromise. There should be a protest in this regard, he said. "The incidents had taken place 200 years ago. By creation of Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda characters, the Vokkaliga community has been insulted. There should be a case on those who are trying to stir peace," he demanded.

BJP leaders are maintaining that Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan was not killed by Britishers, but by Vokkaliga soldiers -- Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda. The issue has stirred a controversy in the state. There was an attempt to make a movie on Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda, later the announcement was withdrawn.

The BJP is trying to impress the Vokkaliga community ahead of Assembly polls in the state by propagating Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda. However, BJP leaders maintain that everything related to Tipu Sultan is glorified by historians as a part of Muslim appeasement and real history was never told.

Cong slams ruling BJP for 'cooking up' new history over Tipu's death