Kovind Speech on Tipu Sultan ; Congress welcomes , BJP angry

Addressing the joint session of Karnataka legislature on the occasion of the diamond jubilee of the iconic Vidhana Souda, President Ram Nath Kovind said, “Tipu Sultan died a heroic death fighting the British. He was also a pioneer in the development and use of Mysore rockets in warfare. This technology was later adopted by the Europeans.” The Congress members, present in the House, thumped the tables in approval as President Kovind made these remarks.

The BJP alleged that the Congress manipulated President’ address on Tipu Sultan. “Such speeches for the President are usually written by the State government. He was merely mouthing it. This does not mean we will call off our agitations against Tipu Jayanthi,” R Ashok, BJP MLA, and a former home minister, was quoted as saying.

Karnataka Congress Working President Dinesh Gundu Rao said: “by trying to say that president has just read out a speech written by somebody, they are insulting the office of the President and the President.” Suggesting that the speech was prepared by the President’s office after collecting inputs from various sources, Rao said, “…such allegations show the state of mind the BJP leaders are in.”