"India will never accept distorted history": BJP's Ramchander Rao slams Owaisi over "Tipu Sultan was martyred" remarks

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], February 15 (ANI): Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president N Ramchander Rao on Sunday accused the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi of distorting history by glorifying Tipu Sultan and misrepresenting facts about Veer Savarkar.
Rao said that Tipu Sultan was responsible for persecuting Hindus in regions such as Karnataka and Mysore, calling his actions anti-Hindu.
Speaking to ANI, Rao said, "By glorifying Tipu Sultan by the AIMIM party is something to distort the history. Everyone knows that Tipu Sultan was responsible for persecuting many Hindus in the areas of Karnataka, Mysore and other places. His deeds have always been seen as anti-Hindu. The AIMIM party is trying to glorify him, and they are trying to even make him a larger figure than Veer Savarkar. They are also spreading falsehood and distorting history by saying that Veer Savarkar has written letters of forgiveness to the British, which is all false and which was created by the Congress party. The AIMIM is following the same line. India will never accept such a distorted history."
Rao's comments came in the wake of AIMIM chief's tribute to the martyrs of the 2019 Pulwama attack, during which Owaisi defended Tipu Sultan's legacy.
Addressing the gathering, AIMIM chief said, "Tipu Sultan was martyred fighting the British. Tipu did not write love letters to the British, as Veer Savarkar did, begging for forgiveness and promising to do whatever they said. Tipu took up his sword and became a martyr in the fight to liberate his country from the British. Is it a lie that APJ Abdul Kalam wrote in his book Wings of Fire that whatever missile technology and rocket technology India has today, we are fulfilling the dreams of Tipu?. Gandhi wrote in his Young Age magazine that Tipu Sultan is the embodiment of Hindu-Muslim unity."
Earlier, Malegaon Municipal Corporation Deputy Mayor Shan-e-Hind Nihal Ahmed stated that the portrait of 18th-century Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan will remain in her office, firmly dismissing the opposition. Describing her ideology as "socialist," she expressed her belief in displaying images of great personalities who represent their ideals.
"It is our right to decide which photos are displayed in our office. If the workers have posted a photo, there is nothing wrong with it. We are people of socialist ideology; therefore, we will display photos of the great personalities who represent our ideals. Despite the opposition to Tipu Sultan's portrait, it was displayed in my office," she told ANI.
Speaking about the temporary removal of Tipu Sultan's portrait, the Deputy Mayor said the photo was taken down solely for office renovations and repairs and will be reinstalled once the work is complete.
Tipu Sultan, the 18th-century ruler of Mysore, is a complex figure with a legacy of bravery and controversy. He fought four Anglo-Mysore Wars against the British, earning the title "Sher-e-Mysore". (ANI)