Karnataka, March 11, 2103: Around 600 Catholics in Bangalore took part in a demonstration against naming a proposed university in Srirangapatna after Emperor Tipu Sultan.

The Catholics demanded the Karnataka government to name the university after Reverend Ferdinand Kittel.

“Tipu Sultan was responsible for forcefully converting about 70,000 Catholics from Udupi, Mangalore and Karwar to Islam,” said T. J, Abraham, an RTI activist.

The demonstrators displayed banners urging authors, writers and litterateurs to put pressure on the government in this regard.

“Kittel wrote the first Kannada to English dictionary. How has Tipu contributed to the literature, art and culture of Karnataka,” Abraham asked.

The protestors who are planning to submit a memorandum to the prime minister and also to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi have threatened not to support Congress if their demands are not met.

“Over 500 Christians will travel from Karwar to Madikeri covering Udupi, Mangalore and other coastal areas during the upcoming assembly elections seeking Christians of the coastal area to vote against the Congress,” said Abraham.

The protestors also added that the government can name the university after A. P. J. Abdul Kalam if they did not want it to be named after the Reverend.

- deccan herald