Sanjay Raut Slams BJP Amid Political Row Over Naming Mumbai Sports Complex After Tipu Sultan

In a fresh development in the ongoing row over naming of the sports complex in Mumbai's Malad, Sanjay Raut said "ask President to resign for having praised Tipu Sultan as a historical warrior".

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut. (ANI photo)

Mumbai: In an ongoing row over naming of the sports complex in Mumbai's Malad after Tipu Sultan, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday said, "We know about Tipu Sultan, don't need to learn from BJP".

Raut's comment comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party and Bajrang Dal held protests over the Maharashtra government's move to "rename" a refurbished sports complex.

According to the news agency ANI, Raut said, "BJP thinks that only they have history's knowledge. Everyone's sitting down to write a new history. These historians are here to change history. We know about Tipu Sultan, don't need to learn from the BJP."

BJP thinks that only they have history's knowledge. Everyone's sitting down to write new history,these historians are here to change history. We know about Tipu Sultan, don't need to learn from BJP: Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut on the row over naming a sports complex after Tipu Sultan pic.twitter.com/QnJHrtZbfP

— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2022

"President Kovind went to Karnataka and praised Tipu Sultan that he was a historical warrior, freedom fighter. So, will you ask for the President's resignation too? BJP should clarify this. This is drama," Raut told the media persons in Mumbai While taking a jibe at BJP.

"If they say it has been named after Tipu and that they will do this and that then they should let it be, saying all this doesn't suit them. State Government is capable of making decisions. Don't write a new history. You can continue trying to change history in Delhi but you won't succeed," he stated.

On Wednesday, workers of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, Bajarang Dal, and Vishwa Hindu Parishad staged a protest at the venue, demanding a renaming after Shaikh, a Congress leader and guardian minister of Mumbai City, attended the event. Some of the protesters were also detained before the event, officials said.

Tipu Sultan was the 18th-century ruler of the then Mysore state and died while fighting a battle against the British.