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A youth was also injured in firing by some unidentified persons near here, police said, adding that prohibitory orders have been clamped in the entire Kodagu district and additional
reinforcements sent to the area to bring the situation under control. A local VHP leader died and several others, including policemen, were injured as violence erupted over the holding of
the birth anniversary celebrations of 18th century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan. A youth was also injured in firing by some unidentified persons near here, police said, adding that prohibitory
orders have been clamped in the entire Kodagu district and additional reinforcements sent to the area to bring the situation under control. Police used tear gas shells and resorted to
lathicharge as hundreds of people gathered here and clashes erupted between the opponents and supporters of the celebrations. According to police, one Kuttappa, a VHP leader and a former
state government employee, suffered head injuries in stone throwing and died on the spot. The violence flared up even as statewide celebrations are being held by the government for the first
time to commemorate the birth anniversary of Tipu which, however, is being boycotted by BJP amidst opposition by several outfits who see him as a "religious bigot". > Police
lathi charge protesters during protest agnst Tipu Sultan's > birth anniversary celebrations in Madikeri, K'taka > pic.twitter.com/rdUrStLgwR > — ANI (@ANI_news) November
10, 2015 > Protests during Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary celebrations in > Madikeri (Karnataka). pic.twitter.com/baxuMFJpTX > — ANI (@ANI_news) November 10, 2015 Some outfits
in Kodagu district had called for a bandh to protest against the government's decision. Meanwhile, Home Minister G Parameshwara said additional reinforcements were being rushed to
Madikeri from Chamarajanagar and Mysuru districts and appealed to people to maintain peace. BJP has announced a "total boycott" of the celebrations, saying that no public
representative from their party at any level would participate in the official function. Further, the party's state unit chief Prahlad Joshi said that Tipu was a "fanatic" and
"anti-Kannada". Several organisations and individuals, too, have opposed the state government's move to celebrate 'Tipu Sultan Jayanti' on November 10. Tipu was a
ruler of the erstwhile kingdom of Mysore and considered an implacable enemy of the British East India Company. He was killed in May, 1799, while defending his fort of Srirangapatna against
British forces. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has defended the government's decision to commemorate his birth anniversary even as he slammed RSS and "other communal
forces" for opposing it. Mangaluru United Christian Association, too, has protested against the celebrations, alleging that Tipu was responsible for the destruction of many churches in
the coastal region and also that Christians were harassed under his rule