- Tipu Sultan fought the British to safeguard and expand his own kingdom of Mysore, not as a selfless martyr for the nation.
- Portraying him as a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity overlooks well-documented accounts of mass killings of Hindus, forced conversions, and temple destruction; Owaisi should engage with fuller, balanced historical records rather than selective ones.
- It is important to understand that Veer Savarkar’s mercy petitions were strategic diplomacy aimed at securing release from prison in order to continue his revolutionary efforts for the motherland—it was calculated resolve, not weakness. – Editor, HJS
Bhagyanagar, Telangana – AIMIM president and Bhagyanagar (Hyderabad) MP Asaduddin Owaisi has made a highly controversial statement, labelling Tipu Sultan a martyr who sacrificed his life fighting British colonial forces.
Speaking at a public event in Bhagyanagar on the ongoing debate over a portrait of Tipu Sultan in the office of the Deputy Mayor of Malegaon, Owaisi said: “Tipu Sultan was martyred in 1799 while fighting the British. He gave his life for the country. Unlike your brave Savarkar, Tipu did not sit in prison writing six love letters to the British, saying ‘I will do whatever you say’ and asking for forgiveness.”
He also stated that the ruler “fought with sword in hand to liberate the country from the British and was martyred.”
Owaisi also quoted former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam from the book Wings of Fire: “The missile and rocket technology India has today is the fulfilment of Tipu’s dreams.” He asked, “Is that a lie?”
Citing Mahatma Gandhi, Owaisi added that Gandhi described Tipu Sultan in his newspaper Young India as “a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity.”
Addressing demands for the Bharat Ratna award to Veer Savarkar, Owaisi referenced the Justice Kapur Commission report on Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, alleging it found Savarkar involved in the conspiracy.
What sparked the controversy?
The remarks came in direct response to a heated row in Malegaon, Maharashtra, where newly elected Deputy Mayor Shaan-e-Hind Nihal Ahmed placed a portrait of Tipu Sultan in her office chamber at the Malegaon Municipal Corporation shortly after taking charge.
The display quickly drew strong protests from Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) corporators, BJP leaders, and Hindu groups, for disrespecting national icons like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Gandhi, and Babasaheb Ambedkar, whose portraits were reportedly absent from the office.
After the backlash, the portrait was quietly removed, officially for ongoing office renovations to prevent damage, though widely seen as due to pressure.
