'Digging A Temple Gives A Stupa': Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge Highlights Forgotten Indian History, Praises Tipu Sultan

Bengaluru: Indirectly referring to the demolition of Babri Masjid and construction of Ram Mandir, Karnataka RDPR, IT&BT Minister Priyank Kharge has said: "Digging a masjid may give you a temple, but demolishing a temple gives a Stupa.''

Besides, Kharge also said that unlike Indian history books, which find a number of freedom fighters, British history books have a few Indian freedom fighters, of which Tipu Sultan is one.

Priyank Kharge was releasing a book, `Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan in the Coastal history', where he said that you will get caught if you dig into the history. ``If you dig any masjid, you may get a temple. Digging a temple gives a Stupa. I don't know what you get if a stupa is dug. My limit is 3000-3500 years of history,'' he said.

Buddhist history was preserved by Devanampriya Ashoka 2,500 years ago, but came to light only 150 years ago. "Who buried our history? Many don't know Kanishka, Harshavardhana, Gupta and Mourya dynasties,'' Kharge said.

"The relics were found and continued to surface from Bengal to Gujarat and Kashmir to Sri Lanka have established the history of Ashoka the great. The genuine history was written in Pali and Prakrit, not in Sanskrit,'' he retorted. 

Praising Tipu Sultan as a freedom fighter, the minister said that, unlike Tipu, who waged four Anglo-Mysuru wars, the RSS had never raised even a small voice against the British. Recollecting an instance when he visited England. Priyank Kharge noted that a British history scholar had told him: ``There are many Indian freedom fighters in the history books of India. However, there are very few Indian Freedom fighters in British history books -- Tipu Sultan is one.''

Published on: Monday, March 30, 2026, 12:30 PM IST