BJP Hits Out at Siddaramaiah Over KRS Dam History Claim
Vijayendra accuses CM of distorting KRS dam legacy.
Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra fiercely criticized Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa on Monday for allegedly distorting the history of the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) dam and disrespecting the Mysore royal family’s legacy, particularly that of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. The controversy erupted after Mahadevappa claimed at a Srirangapatna event that Tipu Sultan laid the foundation for the dam, a statement Vijayendra called an “attempt to rewrite well-documented history” on X.
Vijayendra accused Siddaramaiah of consistently undermining the royal family, citing recent remarks by the CM’s son, Yathindra, claiming his father surpassed Nalwadi’s legacy. He emphasized that the KRS dam, also known as Kannambadi Katte, was a vision of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, realized through immense sacrifice. “Nalwadi’s mother and wife sold their personal jewellery to fund the project,” he noted, highlighting the royal family’s commitment to public welfare during financial hardships under British rule.
The dam’s construction began in 1911 and was completed in 1932, with significant contributions from Sir M Visvesvaraya, Vijayendra said, challenging Mahadevappa to provide evidence linking Tipu Sultan, who died in 1799, to a project conceived over a century later. He accused the Congress of glorifying Tipu for “vote-bank politics” to consolidate Muslim votes, urging respect for Nalwadi’s “world-class administration.” Mahatma Gandhi, he added, had hailed Nalwadi as a ‘Rajarshi’ for his contributions.
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Mahadevappa, defending his claim, argued that Tipu pioneered land reforms and sericulture, and quoted B R Ambedkar to assert that “those who don’t know history cannot create history.” The dispute has ignited a heated debate over Karnataka’s historical narrative, with Vijayendra calling for an end to what he termed deliberate historical distortions.
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