'Pakistan supporting their ally in Karnataka', alleges BJP after Pak government posts video tribute to Tipu Sultan

A massive political debate has been triggered on account of what is being described as a completely unabashed attempt by Pakistan to play mischief in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections.

Earlier on Friday, the official government of Pakistan handle had tweeted high praise of the 18th-century ruler of Mysore under the guise of 'revisiting' him on his death anniversary. Now, it's doubled down and issued another tweet about him.

While the first tweet contained a graphic, the second one contains a video and a caption justifying why he is being spoken about in such glowing terms:

"Tipu Sultan was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He has been lionized as a first freedom fighter because of his steadfast resistance against the British colonialism. On the occasion of #TipuSultan's 219th death anniversary. Let's have a look at some aspects of his life."

The video says the following about him:

'Renowned for his bravery in the wars against the British Empire

He is regarded as the first freedom fighter for his fierce battles against the British

The British Army's National Army Museum ranked Tipu Sultan among the greatest enemy commanders the British Army ever faced

Tipu Sultan was commonly known as the 'Tiger of Mysore' and he adopted this animal as the symbol of his rule.

Tipu Sultan ensured the right of minorities. At the request of the French, he built a church, the first in Mysore.

A Freedom Fighter who laid down his life while fighting against the British Empire.

He was the last arrow in the arsenal who could stop British Empire.

"To live like a lion for a day is far better than to live like a jackal for a hundred years" - Tipu Sultan (Tiger of Mysore) '

The video has been crafted by the Press information department of the Pakistan government

Here's the earlier tweet:

Pakistan's rush to tweet in such a manner about a historical figure who has over the last few years been at the centre of a fierce politico-religious debate in India, and that too, for the first two time ever (the Pakistan government's Twitter handle contains no other such mentions of Tipu Sultan on any of his previous birth or death anniversaries), is highly suspicious. The critical Karnataka elections are due on May 12, about one year before the Lok Sabha elections. 

After the first tweet, BJP spokesperson and Member of Parliament GVL Narasimha Rao had termed the matter as 'bizarre' and alleged that the Congress may have influenced Pakistan's government into issuing the tweets.

Narasimha Rao harkened back to 2015 when two people had died in protests after the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government had decided to celebrate Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary and had described him as a freedom fighter.

"It's so curious coming at a time when the Congress party is also celebrating the same historical figure who is identified by many as a murderer of many sections of south Indians. And now, Pakistan celebrating him sounds like a signal to the people of India or a community that this individual represents a religion because there is no connection between Pakistan and Tipu Sultan except religion", GVL Narasimha Rao said, going on to add that it may be an effort to enthuse Congress and Siddaramaiah

Several BJP leaders have on earlier occasions echoed Rao's views and described him as a tyrant who oppressed and slaughtered Hindus. They have also spoken of Congress president Rahul Gandhi's reported statement from March calling Tipu Sultan a symbol of communal harmony, and the Karnataka BJP has issued the following tweet at CM Siddaramaiah:

 The BJP has also raised last year's Gujarat elections when it had emerged that senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had held an informal secret meeting with top Pakistan government authorities led by the former foreign minister of Pakistan Khursheed Kasuri.