Karnataka BJP uses photos of Marudu Pandyas to refer to Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda
The images of Marudu Pandyas besides the names of Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda Mahadwara at the arch created to welcome Prime Minister Modi in the state of Karnataka have caused controversy.
Karnataka BJP National General Secretary, C T Ravi has posted the photo of the arch on his Twitter page.
ದೇಶ ದ್ರೋಹಿ… ಮತಾಂದ…ನಾಯಿ ಸುಲ್ತಾನ ತಿಪ್ಪೆಯನ್ನು ನಾಯಿಯ ಹಾಗೆ ಕೊಂದ ವೀರ ಯೋದ ಉರಿ ಗೌಡ ಮತ್ತು ನಂಜೇ ಗೌಡರ ತಾಯಿ ನೆಲಕ್ಕೆ ಆಗಮಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವ ಅಭಿರುದ್ದಿಯ ಮೂಲಕ ಗುಲಾಮರ ಮತ್ತು ಕುಟುಂಬ ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಬರ್ನಲ್ ಬ್ಯಾಗ್ಯ ಕೊಟ್ಟ ನಮ್ಮ ದೇಶದ ಹೆಮ್ಮಯ ಮಗ ಶ್ರೀ ನರೇಂದ್ರ ಮೋದಿಜೀಯವರಿಗೆ ಸ್ವಾಗತ ಸುಸ್ವಾಗತ pic.twitter.com/USO9RZ560O
— Ashok Kadekeri (@AshokKadekeri) March 12, 2023
When did this happen?
The photos of Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda Mahadwara were featured in the banners put up by the BJP in Mandya to welcome Prime Minister Modi, who came to inaugurate the Bangalore-Mysore highway in Karnataka on 11, March 2023.
But the images created for Marudu Pandyas from Tamil Nadu on the internet are referred to as Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda which created a controversy.
On 27, October 2022 on the occasion of the memorial day of the Marudu brothers who opposed the British, Annamalai paid homage to the same photos of the Marudu Pandyas in the head office of the Tamil Nadu BJP in T. Nagar, Chennai. Karnataka BJP is now misusing the same images referring to Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda.
Even some of the news reports about Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda are quoting the pictures used for the Marudu brothers by mistake.
Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda Controversy:
Historians say that Tipu Sultan was killed by the British during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War between 1798-99. Even after more than 200 years of Tipu Sultan’s death, BJP is using Tipu Sultan’s name for political purposes in Karnataka.
In this situation, Kannada writer Javare Gowda‘s ‘Suvarna Mandya’ was presented during the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Mandya district. He quoted in his book that Vokkaliga leaders Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda fought against Tipu Sultan. Based on this, BJP is trying to popularize Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda as killers of Tipu Sultan.
But historians object saying that Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda are fabricated fictitious characters. Also, there were protests from the opposition party including the Congress party in Karnataka.
However, BJP’s C T Ravi mentioned that Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda are not fabricated characters and further suggested investigating whether they killed Tipu Sultan.
Meanwhile, Karnataka BJP Minister and producer Munirathna who had earlier announced that he is going to make a film on Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda later announced his withdrawal from the film project after a meeting with Vokkaliga Seer Nirmalananda Swami at Adisunchanagiri Mutt in Mandya on March 20.
In Karnataka, the BJP has faced various controversies for taking the names of Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda against Tipu Sultan. Further controversies have arisen for misusing the images of Marudu Pandyas to represent Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda.
This article is originally published in Tamil by Youturn on 21, March 2023.
