Prez calls Tipu Sultan a “hero”, leaves BJP red-faced

BENGALURU: A little less than a week after BJP's Anant Kumar Hegde described Tipu Sultan as “a brutal killer, wretched fanatic and mass rapist”, refusing to attend functions related to the historical figure, President Ram Nath Kovind hailed the Mysore ruler. Speaking at the 60th anniversary of the Vidhana Soudha, Kovind said, “Tipu Sultan died a heroic death fighting the British. He was also a pioneer in the development and use of Mysore rockets in warfare. This technology was later adopted by the Europeans.” The statement comes in direct opposition to the ruling BJP, which has been vehemently protesting against Karnataka's plan to celebrate Tipu's birth anniversary. It has blamed Congress of being insensitive to Hindu sentiments in the light of the ruler's alleged record of forcible conversions.