Tipu Sultan birth anniversary: Bengaluru police ramps up security measures, only govt procession allowed on roads

Bengaluru: The city has come under a thick security blanket ahead of the ‘Tipu Jayanti’ celebrations organised across the state by the government on Friday to mark the birth anniversary of the 18th century ruler of the Mysore Kingdom. A large number of policemen have been deployed in the sensitive places. No procession will be allowed in the city that is related to Tipu Jayanti, except for the one organised by the state government, according to police. Bengaluru Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar said, “We are not giving permission to any procession, whether it is in favour of Tipu Jayanti or against it. The government itself is celebrating the event in various parts of the city for which we have made elaborate arrangements.” [caption id=“attachment_3090248” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Tipu Sultan figurehead on a state float. PIB[/caption] He said 30 Karnataka State Reserved Police (KSRP) platoons and 25 armed platoons, besides policemen and officers of city police will be deployed. “There will be more than 11,000 policemen all over the city. Besides the regular police, we will deploy Home Guard personnel,” Suneel Kumar said. He said there will be celebrations only at the places identified by the government, adding that the police would deal firmly with those who plan to create trouble. “We have not made any preventive arrests so far but if the situation rises, section 144 (prohibitory order) may be imposed,” Kumar said. The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government started celebrating Tipu Jayanti two years ago. The BJP, some right wing groups and the members of Kodava community are opposing the celebrations alleging that Tipu was a religious “bigot” who had massacred many people and forced them to embrace Islam.