The 131st birth anniversary of erstwhile ruler of Mysuru Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar was celebrated in various parts of the city, here on Thursday. However, a short skirmish was witnessed at K R Circle, with a sitting corporator taking objection to the low-key celebrations.
The district administration had organised a programme to garland the statue of the past ruler at the circle named after him here, when a Congress Corporator R Purushotham, objected to the manner in which the district administration had organised the programme.
The corporator described it as an insult to Wadiyars, as the district administration restricted to offer floral tributes citing violation of election code of conduct, in the wake of recently concluded Gram Panchayat elections.
In her reply, Deputy Commissioner C Shikha who was also present at the spot clarified that ‘even though model code of conduct was not applicable to the city, the programme could not be organised in a grand manner due to shortage of time. A meeting will be convened to celebrate the occasion on a grand scale, once the counting of votes was completed.
The deputy commissioner reminded the aggrieved corporator that similar arrangements were made by the district administration in the past, when Dr B R Ambedkar Jayanti and Basava Jayanthi coincided with the code of conduct.
Not satisfied, Purushotham reminded the officer that Mysuru City Corporation council had decided to celebrate the occasion in a grand manner. Yet, the district administration has ignored it.
Efforts made by Mysuru and Kodagu MP Prathap Simha and Chamaraja MLA Vasu to pacify the corporator went in vain.
Celebrations
The Arasu Mandali took out a rally from Thyagaraja Road to K R Circle.
Mayor R Lingappa inaugurated the rally and recalled the contributions of Nalwadi as he was popularly known as, for the development of the city.
Similar programmes were organised at Palace Board office and Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
DH News Service
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