Bengaluru, (DHNS): Chief Minister Siddaramiah on Friday lambasted BJP leaders for their doublespeak on celebration of Tipu’s birth anniversary. He, however, promised to celebrate the event with grandeur next year.

Stating that the BJP leaders have stooped too low in opposing the celebration of the birthday of a “patriot, secular and progressive king who fought four wars against the British,” Siddaramiah said he wanted to celebrate the event with much fanfare in the Vidhana Soudha Banquet Hall.

“Let BJP leaders cry hoarse and go on a Parivartana Yatre. People will make them realise that it is they (BJP leaders) who need the Parivartan, not the society. Next year, we will celebrate Tipu Jayanti with grandeur,” he said.

Siddaramaiah pointed out that B S Yeddyurappa had taken part in the celebration of Tipu Jayanti earlier. “As the founder of the KJP, he swore to Allah that he will never join the BJP. See how things have changed now,” he said.

Taking a dig at the Leader of Opposition in Assembly Jagadish Shettar, Siddaramaiah said that during his time as chief minister Shettar had written a foreward praising Tipu Sultan in the book, ‘Tipu Sultan: A Crusader for Change’ written by B Sheikh Ali.

Earlier, Maulana Sagir Ahmad Khan Saheb Rashadi of Ameer-e-Shariat-Karnataka urged the chief minister to rename Ballari Road, a national highway, as ‘Tipu Sultan Road’. “Tipu was born in Devanahalli. In his memory, we request you to rename the road after him,” he said.

Earlier, commotion marred the inauguration of Tipu Jayanti as the sloganeering crowd that had gathered outside the venue demanded that Chamarajapet MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan be brought on the stage.

A while later, Zameer Ahmed Khan arrived on the stage amid slogans and asked a few leaders of the community to pacify the crowd.

The programme then began with Kannada and Culture Minister Umashree’s address condemning communalism. “Tipu Jayanti will be celebrated again and again to send out the message of secularism,” she said.