Yaduveer alleges misuse of legislature and executive to take over properties of erstwhile Mysore royal family

MP for Mysuru Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar addressing a press conference in Mysuru on Monday.

MP for Mysuru Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar has alleged that the legislature and the executive were misused to take over properties belonging to the erstwhile royal family of Mysore.

Responding to queries from reporters here on Monday, Mr. Yaduveer said the attempts to acquire the royal family’s properties through legislation amounted to the abuse of power vested in the legislature and the executive.

He pointed out that the laws enacted by the State government in 1998 and 1996 for the acquisition of the Mysuru palace and Bengaluru palace, respectively, had been challenged in court.

While elected representatives in the legislature were pursuing the move through the executive, Mr. Yaduveer said his mother, Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, would take decisions concerning the ongoing litigation and that he would abide by her decision.

He maintained that disputes in a democracy had to be settled by the judiciary and expressed confidence that the dispute between the erstwhile royal family and the State government would also be resolved through the courts.

Public statements on the issue, he said, would serve little purpose. “A public debate on the matter will be of no relevance,” he remarked.

Emphasising the need to address shortcomings in the conduct of Dasara, Mr. Yaduveer rejected the ruling Congress party’s allegation that the BJP was attempting to politicise the festival.

“There is no need for the BJP to politicise Dasara festivities,” he said.

As an MP and an elected representative, he said, he had a responsibility to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival.

He said suggestions would be made at the preliminary meetings convened to discuss the arrangements. However, if the suggestions were not acted upon, the BJP would be justified in taking up the issue politically, as that was part of the democratic process.

“We will give suggestions at the meeting and resort to politics only if they are not implemented,” he said.

Mr. Yaduveer expressed confidence that Dasara in 2028 would be conducted under a BJP government. “Dasara will become our responsibility after our party comes to power in 2028,” he said.

Asked about the controversy over the increased ethanol content in fuel, Mr. Yaduveer alleged that the Congress government had raised the issue to divert public attention from rising prices, which had triggered widespread resentment.

He said the Union government had already clarified that ethanol blending in fuel would not adversely affect vehicle engines.