National
Tipu Sultan a ‘mass rapist’, keep me out of celebrations, Union Minister tells Karnataka (Lead)
Bengaluru, Oct 21 (IANS) Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde has asked the Karnataka government to keep him out of the state’s Tipu Jayanti celebrations, calling the erstwhile Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan a “brutal killer, wretched fanatic and mass rapist”.
“Conveyed (to) Karnataka government not to invite me to shameful event of glorifying a person known as brutal killer, wretched fanatic and mass rapist,” Hegde tweeted.
Hegde had also written an official letter to the state asking not to include his name for the event.
The Karnataka government, headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has planned to celebrate the erstwhile ruler’s birth anniversary on November 10.
The ruling Congress began celebrating Tipu Sultan’s birth anniversary since 2015, which led to violent protests by the right-wing organisations in the Mysore region and other parts of the state.
Reacting to Hegde’s statement, Siddaramaiah told reporters here that the event was being given a “political” colour.
“It is being made into a political issue. Four wars were fought against the British and Tipu fought all of them,” he said.
The invitation to the Union Minister was extended only as part of the “protocol”, the Chief Minister added.
“It was only as part of the protocol that he (Hegde) was invited. The invitation is extended to all central and state leaders as part of the protocol. It is up to them whether to attend or not,” Siddaramaiah said.
An official from the Chief Minister’s Office told IANS: “Since Tipu Jayanti is being celebrated as a state event, the protocol demands that the Union Ministers from the state and other central government ministers be invited.”
The letters to all ministers were sent out in advance and it was their discretion whether or not to be a part of the event, the official added.
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker from the state Prahlad Joshi has alleged that Tipu Sultan was “anti-Hindu, anti-Kannada and exploited India”.
“The state should not be using public money for the celebrations. Karnataka government is playing vote bank politics to appease Muslims in the state ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections,” alleged another BJP lawmaker Shobha Karandlaje.
Known as the “Tiger of Mysore”, Tipu Sultan ruled the Mysore kingdom from 1782-1799 succeeding his father Hyder Ali.
Though Tipu Sultan was born in 1750 at Devanahalli on the outskirts of Bengaluru, his kingdom’s capital was at Srirangapatna near Mysore.
–IANS
bha/rn
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.