Is Shiv Sena giving up its Hindutva? Controversies sparks after SP corporator proposes naming Mumbai garden after Tipu Sultan

It seems like controversies and Shiv Sena go hand-in-hand as another row has been erupted after the Samajwadi Party in Maharashtra proposed that the BMC name a garden in the Govandi area of Mumbai after Tipu Sultan.

 

In January 2021, Samajwadi Party corporator from Govandi, Rukhsana Siddiqui wrote a letter to the Market and Garden Committee suggesting that a newly developed garden spread over two acres be named after Tipu Sultan as he was a “freedom fighter” and had fought against the British East India Company. The demand was accepted by the BMC administration in June and sent to the Market and Garden Committee for approval on July 15.

 

 

However, the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed that Tipu Sultan was an anti-Hindu leader and naming a garden after him would hurt religious sentiments of the community. Soon after the backlash, the BMC had decided to postpone the decision of naming the garden citing that the beautification and repair work of the garden was not yet completed.

 

 

Later, the team of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti protesting against the name Tipu Sultan met Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar. After the meeting, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti spokesperson Dr Uday Dhuri said that "We oppose renaming a garden of Mumbai after Tipu Sultan. Tipu Sultan has a history of oppressing the Hindus."

 

 

"Tipu Sultan fought with the British not for the country but to save his kingdom. He converted Hindus to other religions at the tip of his sword. He destroyed more than a thousand temples in South India. I believe that BMC should not pass the proposal in the name of such a cruel Sultan. If this is passed, then other gardens will also be proposed to be named after tyrannical Mughal rulers like Akbar, Babur which can have further consequences", Dhuri said.

 

 

BJP MP Manoj Kotak also questioned Shiv Sena's Hindutva for naming a garden after Tipu Sultan and recalled the Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road flyover naming incident. "Shiv Sena has supported this proposal to name a garden in Govandi area after Tipu Sultan. It seems that Shiv Sena has turned away from Hindutva. There is no relation between Shiv Sena and Hindutva. Shiv Sena's helplessness is clearly visible," said Kotak.

 

 

History says that Tipu was known to have committed conversions and killing of Hindus. It is also to be believed that Tipu Sultan and Marathas were enemies. If any voter is supporting Sena for Hindutva, then they must reconsider the support to regional pride or consider themself secular.