Mysuru Airport Renaming Controversy
A heated topic has arisen in Karnataka, sparking renewed tensions between the Congress and BJP parties. Congress MLA Prasad Abbayya has presented a proposition to rename Mysuru airport after the controversial figure Tipu Sultan.
This proposal was put forth during a legislative assembly debate regarding the state government’s request to the Centre on airport name modifications. However, this idea has garnered wrath and significant opposition from the BJP party.
What Is The Issue?
The MLA representing Hubballi-Dharwad (East) expressed his opinion during a legislative assembly session regarding the state government’s initiative to request the Centre for altering the names of airports in Karnataka.
He proposed a rename for Mysuru airport to be called Tipu Sultan airport.
The decision sparked outrage among the BJP legislators, leading them to stage protests and raise objections. This resulted in intense arguments between the opposing factions within the assembly.
In spite of the opposition, the resolution recommending the renaming of four airports was unanimously passed by the state assembly.
The revised names proposed were Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna for Hubballi Airport, Kittur Rani Chennamma for Belagavi Airport, Rashtrakavi Dr KV Puttappa (Kuvempu) for Shivamogga Airport, and Sri Jagadjyoti Basaveshwara for Vijayapura airport, as stated in the resolution.
Infrastructure development minister MB Patil said the new names for the airports will be recommended to the union government for approval.
It should be noted that in October, state chief minister Siddaramaiah hailed Kittur Rani Channamma (the queen of a former princely state in Karnataka who rebelled against the British) and Tipu Sultan as “inspirations to fight for self-respect”.
Tipu Sultan, the Muslim ruler, has evoked divergent opinions and divided sentiments in Karnataka. The controversy surrounding Tipu Sultan can be traced back to 2016, when the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah initiated the commemoration of his birthday as ‘Tipu Jayanti’ on November 10.
However, with the change in power and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assuming control of the state in 2019, the decision to celebrate Tipu Sultan’s birthday was revoked.
