Mumbai: Staging a protest against the 'naming' of a renovated garden after Tipu Sultan in Mumbai, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said that the 18th century Mysore ruler persecuted Hindus and his name was unacceptable for a public facility.
However, Maharashtra minister Aslam Shaikh who inaugurated new facilities at the garden in the Malvani area stated that it always bore the name of Tipu Sultan, and there was no fresh nomenclature.
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.
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“The garden is named thus (after Tipu Sultan) for the last 15 years, but nobody objected to it till now. I even know a BJP MLA who is pushing for repairs of a road in the area which is named after Tipu. He conveniently keeps mum over it as he wants votes," said Aslam, as quoted by PTI.
“As part of the renovation of the existing garden, tennis and badminton courts have been built and they are open to all irrespective of religion or caste,” he added.
Some of the protesters were also detained before the event, officials said.
While speaking to reporters in Nagpur, the former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “Tipu Sultan is historically known for committing atrocities against the Hindus in his state. The BJP will never accept the honouring of such personalities. The decision to name the garden after Tipu Sultan should be revoked.”
Aaditya Thackeray, who is the guardian minister for the Mumbai suburban district in which Malvani is located, said that no such decision had been taken by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
“It is the BMC’s prerogative to name a garden. As per my information, no decision has been taken to name the Malvani garden after Tipu Sultan,” he said.
(With Agency Inputs)