If Tipu Sultan’s portrait is reinstalled, Hindus in Malegaon will not pay any taxes

Warning from Hindus in Malegaon after the Mayor and Deputy Mayor attempt to reinstall Tipu Sultan’s portrait in the Municipal Corporation

Nashik (Maharashtra) – If the Deputy Mayor of Malegaon reinstalls Tipu’s portrait, the Hindu community of Malegaon will refuse to pay any form of tax to the Municipal Corporation. If the Deputy Mayor proceeds with reinstalling the portrait, she will not be allowed to move freely in the city. The Hindu community of Malegaon regards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as its idol—not Tipu Sultan or Aurangzeb. A warning has been issued by the organisation “Sakal Hindu Samaj” in Malegaon that Tipu Sultan’s portrait will not be allowed to be displayed in the Malegaon Municipal Corporation.

In Malegaon, after Deputy Mayor Shaan e Hind Nihal Ahmed assumed office, she had installed a portrait of Tipu Sultan in her chamber. Following this, protests were organised by Sakal Hindu Samaj. Later, media reports stated that the portrait had been removed under the pretext of office-related work. However, after the Deputy Mayor declared that the portrait of Tipu Sultan would be reinstalled once the office work was completed, Sakal Hindu Samaj intensified its opposition.

In connection with this issue, Maharashtra Congress President Harshvardhan Sapkal—who had compared the protector of Hindus Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj with the tyrant Tipu Sultan—had apologised after facing statewide opposition.

Editorial Perspective

The stance of Malegaon’s Mayor and Deputy Mayor is shamelessly audacious. This is merely a glimpse of what can happen when power goes into the hands of Muslims.