Belagavi, 9 Dec

The row of Tipu Jayanthi has reignited in Karnataka with ruling Congress MLA Shivanand Kashappanavar, deciding to move a calling attention motion in the Karnataka Assembly to organise the birth anniversary of the 18th century Mysuru ruler.

During his previous tenure as Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah had started the tradition and then put a brake on it following widespread protests, including a violent one in Kodagu, where a man was killed in police firing.

After the protest, Tipu’s birth anniversary was celebrated as a low-key affair. Gradually, it was put on hold.

Now the Hungund MLA has once again raked it up. Kashappanavar wants the State to sponsor Tipu Jayanthi, triggering a strong reaction from the Opposition BJP, which has said that it will vehemently protest it.

Kashappanavar told press that he has moved a proposal to organise Tipu Jayanti. We have to wait for the state government’s response. His contention is that the BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa himself had put up Tipu’s attire and celebrated it.

"They celebrated it when they needed it. Now they don’t want it," the Congress MLA said.

Reacting to the move, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka told reporters, “Let them celebrate Tipu Jayanthi, Osama bin Laden’s birth anniversary and Pakistan’s Independence Day. It’s their government. People will get to know whose favour they are in.

Karnataka Waqf and Housing Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan told reporters that he has been organising Tipu Jayanthi.

"Tipu followers across the country have been organising Tipu Jayanti. We too organised it last month," he sought to know.

A section of people from Kodagu had opposed Tipu Jayanthi, saying that Tipu had killed 16,000 Kodavas in a single day. The Mandyam Iyengars, too, stopped celebrating Deepavali as Tipu’s army had allegedly butchered 600 of them over suspicion that one of them tipped off British forces against him.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday told the Assembly that he wants to introduce an innovative method in composting of garbage involving an insect called 'black soldier fly' to tackle the garbage issue in the City.

"I compliment those from Mangaluru, they have started a new project, the Prime Minister has also spoken on this. The insect, named black soldier fly, feeds on garbage and helps with composting. I want to introduce it in Bengaluru," Shivakumar said while replying to a question raised by Doddaballapur BJP MLA Dheeraj Muniraju who opposed the government's plan to restart a closed waste processing plant in his constituency, during the Question Hour.

Shivakumar added, "The experimental project has been done well in Mangaluru.....I will even be open to visiting Mangaluru to see what is going on in this regard. I'm open to all suggestions, whatever you give."

Shivakumar said that the government has identified two locations -- north and south -- where waste processing plants will come up to process the garbage that is gathered Greater Bengaluru Authority area.

In the north, 134 acres at Doddabelavangala in Doddaballapur, where the now-defunct Terrafirma plant is located, have been identified, while in the south, 84 acres in Gollahalli near Uttarahalli have been identified.

Pointing out that the City generates 8,000 tonnes of waste and questioning where should it be disposed, he said, “The latest technology has come”, adding that he wants to decimate the “garbage mafia” in the City.

“We are opening a similar unit in Kanakapura and Bidadi too. Convince people that there is no issue with these units,” Shivakumar told the Opposition.