Kerala BJP president K Surendran, who is contesting from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, has triggered a controversy by saying that if elected, his first priority would be to change the name of Sulthan Bathery town to Ganapathyvattam. “The renaming of Sulthan Bathery is inevitable. The name Sulthan Bathery emerged as part of [Tipu Sultan’s] invasion. The place is Ganapathyvattam. Congress and CPI(M) want the place to be known after a criminal,” Surendran said on Thursday, reiterating a remark he made while speaking to a TV channel. “Sulthan Bathery should be renamed as Ganapathyvattam. It is not the land of Tipu Sultan who massacred Hindus and Christians,” Surendran had said. Sulthan Bathery is one of the three municipal towns in Wayanad and is home to a Ganapati temple once known as Ganapathyvattam. The town got its name after Tipu Sultan invaded the Malabar region in the second half of 1700. The Mysuru ruler’s military used Ganapathyvattam as a battery for their ammunition and the town became known as ‘Sultan’s Battery’ in British records. Kerala Congress vice-president and legislator from Kalpetta in Wayanad T Siddique said, “Surendran is free to say anything as he is not going to win from Wayanad. It is only to win attention.” Surendran will contest against sitting MP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and CPI national leader Annie Raja in Wayanad. The Lok Sabha elections in Kerala will be held on April 26.
