Karnataka: CM Siddaramaiah won’t relent on Mysuru Palace row

Mysuru: A day after Revenue minister Srinivas Prasad raised hopes of negotiations between the state government and the erstwhile royal family of Mysuru on the dispute over property belonging to the family, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday spiked all hopes of a negotiated settlement saying he would not comment about the issue as a slew of cases are pending in the Supreme Court.

Mr Siddaramaiah, who arrived here to cast his vote in Siddaramanahundi during polling for Gram Panchayat elections, seemed determined to await the verdict of the apex court when asked to comment on Maharani Pramodadevi’s inclination to arrive at a negotiated settlement if the state government was ready to resolve the property dispute in line with the agreement arrived in 1950 between Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, the Union government and the state government.

Besides, when his attention was drawn to the statement of his cabinet colleague Mr Srinivas Prasad that the state government would not carry on with the legal battle on the property and that it would be ideal to resolve the dispute through talks, Mr Siddaramaiah said he was not aware of the context in which the minister spoke, or what exactly he meant.

When media persons asked why he chose to skip the crowing ceremony of Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar here on Thursday, he remarked: “I had some important work to attend to, which is why I could not make it.”  

On whether he could have attended the crowing ceremony bowing to sentiments of people, he said: “Yes, that is the reason why many of our ministers attended the function as representatives of the government.”

Though several ministers and KPCC president Dr G Parameshwar were among 5,000-odd guests who gathered at the Ambavilas Palace to witness the crowning ceremony here on Thursday, Mr Siddaramaiah stayed put in Bengaluru to chair a series of meetings with officers.