Palace dispute: Maharani’s tears fail to move CM Siddaramaiah

Mysore: Unmoved by Maharani Pramoda Devi’s recent tearful appeal to resolve the Mysore palace dispute,  Chief Minister Siddaramaiah indicated on Tuesday that he was in no mood to withdraw the special legislation passed during his tenure as deputy Chief Minister in the Janata Dal government to acquire the palace along with the one in Bengaluru.

Speaking to reporters at the Mysore airport, he refused to comment on the Maharani’s emotional outburst, only saying that the palace dispute was before the Supreme Court.

As for the naming of a successor to the late scion of the Mysore royal family, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, holding of the Khas Durbar and other religious customs of the palace, he said the government had nothing to do with them. “These are internal matters of the Mysore royal family. We will carry on with conducting the Dasara as usual and will seek the royal family’s cooperation.  Ms Pramoda Devi has herself said she would cooperate in conducting the festivities. So, there ends the matter,” he asserted, appealing to the media not to blow things out of proportion.