New Delhi: The civic body in Karnataka’s Hubbali has granted Asaduddin Owaisi’s party permission to observe the birth anniversary of Mysore king Tipu Sultan on the Eidgah grounds in December.Made a state government-sponsored annual affair in 2015, the Bharatiya Janata Party government stopped Tipu Jayanthi celebrations a day after it came to power in 2019.Besides, the grounds had been at the centre of controversy since late August this year when the Dharwad bench of the Karnataka high court refused to stay an order of the Hubbali mayor allowing Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations there.This time, a request by the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Samata Sainik Dala and some other organisations to celebrate Tipu Sultan’s birth anniversary was challenged by the local Hindutva group Sri Ram Sena. NDTV has reported that the outfit, in turn, submitted a request to celebrate Kanakadasa Jayanti on the grounds.To Indian Express, Ram Sena leader Pramod Muthalik said that celebration of “a person” – Tipu Sultan – cannot be allowed by his group and that it “will lead to violence.”Commentators had argued in August that attempts to turn the grounds into a place of worship for Hindus were, in fact, part of an effort to “establish the rights of the state and Hindus over these grounds which have been used by Muslims for at least 200 years, if not more.”On the same day when the high court allowed Ganesh worship at the Eidgah grounds, the Supreme Court had halted the Karnataka government’s move to hold Ganesh Chaturthi at the Idgah Maidan in Bengaluru’s Chamarajpet, ordering that the status quo which has existed for 200 years be maintained.Today @aimim_national On behalf of the party, a petition was submitted to the Corporation Commissioner seeking permission to celebrate the 272nd birth anniversary of Hazrat Tipu Sultan at the Eidgah Maidan Hubballi#HubliEidgahMaidan #Hubli pic.twitter.com/5Lvl3ExYMA— Bashir Ahmad (@BasirMkOfficial) November 5, 2022“We are requesting them legally to allow us to celebrate Tipu Jayanti who fought against the British and is a warrior we need to be proud of,” AIMIM Dharwad district joint secretary Vijay M. Guntral had told Indian Express two days ago.News agency ANI has quoted the Hubbali-Dharwad mayor Veeresh Anchatgeri as having earlier said that while religious activities can be allowed at the Eidgah grounds, “no big leaders will be allowed”.