Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa.
Credit: DH File Photo
Mysuru: Social Welfare and Mysuru District in-charge Minister H C Mahadevappa stoked controversy, by stating that Tipu Sultan laid the foundation for the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) dam.
After laying the foundation stone for Ambedkar Bhavan at Srirangapatna, in the neighbouring Mandya district, on Sunday, Mahadevappa said, Tipu Sultan was the first to lay the foundation stone of the dam, but nobody has the courage to say this.
However, Mysore-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar reacted to this, by saying, “This is a ridiculous statement and there is no evidence for this, anywhere”.
Wadiyar, a descendant of Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, who built the dam, said, “Everyone knows who built the KRS Dam. Teachers and experts provide information on this. I have never heard this story, anywhere. The minister is speaking to suit his convenience. Temples were demolished and worship was held only at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangapatna and Srikanteshwar Temple in Nanjangud in the Mysuru State, during the period of Tipu Sultan. Ministers should not issue statements just to appease voters”.
“Tipu Sultan may have taken some steps to encourage sericulture in the Mysuru State. But, one good deed cannot erase his 100 crimes such as genocide of Mandya Iyengars, including pregnant women. History should not be misused for vote politics. History should be accompanied with evidence. It is better, if politicians do not speak on history,” he said.