National
President praises Tipu Sultan; BJP, Congress squabble over ‘prepared speech’ (Roundup)
Bengaluru, Oct 25 (IANS) President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday heaped praise on former Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan, saying he died a “historic death” fighting the British, sparking a fresh war of words between the ruling Congress and BJP in Karnataka.
The BJP alleged the speech had been “scripted” by the Congress, but Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the President’s speech had not been prepared by the state government.
President Kovind’s praise for the former Mysore ruler came days after Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde, a BJP leader, called Tipu a “brutal killer, wretched fanatic and mass rapist”, ahead of the state’s Tipu Jayanti celebrations to mark his birth anniversary on November 10.
The BJP has been opposing the celebrations calling Tipu “anti-Hindu and anti-Kannada”.
In his speech, the President referred to Tipu Sultan as a “pioneer” in the development of Mysore rockets (iron-cast rockets for military use) and said that he died a “historic death” fighting the British, leaving BJP leaders fuming.
Recalling the contributions of Karnataka’s former rulers, politicians and scientists in the growth of the state and the country on the whole, the President spoke of Tipu Sultan, leading to loud applause from a majority of the legislators.
“The speech was a deliberate attempt by the Congress to make the President praise Tipu Sultan,” senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister K.S. Eshwarappa said after the joint session of the state legislature marking the diamond jubilee of Vidhana Soudha.
But Siddaramaiah insisted that Kovind’s speech was the “President’s own”.
“We have not prepared the President’s speech. We have not even sent any note to the Rashtrapati Bhavan,” the Chief Minister said in a statement.
“Some leaders are unnecessarily creating a controversy out of the issue. It is very unfortunate and condemnable,” he said.
Attacking BJP state President and former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, Siddaramaiah questioned why the leader had taken part in Tipu Jayanti celebrations earlier.
“When Yeddyurappa was a part of Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) (which was once headed by Yeddyurappa), he took part in a function dressed as Tipu. (BJP leader) Jagadish Shettar had written a preface to a book on Tipu calling him a ‘patriot’. Why are they against Tipu now?” he asked.
Karnataka Working President of the Congress Dinesh Gundu Rao said the BJP was only “insulting” the President by criticising his speech.
“They (BJP) are only insulting our country’s President,” Rao told media here.
The Janata Dal-Secular leaders from the state meanwhile expressed disappointment over the President’s speech missing out mention of former Prime Minister and JD-S leader H.D. Deve Gowda, while naming the former chief ministers from the state.
Following the President’s speech, state JD-S chief H.D. Kumaraswamy was seen boycotting the photo session of the legislators with the President.
The Chief Minister stated that it could have been “unintentional” that the name was not mentioned by the President.
The ruling Congress began celebrating Tipu’s birth anniversary since 2015, which led to violent protests by right-wing organisations in the Mysore region and other parts of the state.
Known as the ‘Tiger of Mysore’, Tipu Sultan ruled the Mysore kingdom from 1782-1799 succeeding his father Haider Ali.
–IANS
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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.
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