Road in Mysuru should not be named after me if it already has name: Siddaramaiah

Mysuru, Jan 10 (PTI) In the wake of controversy over the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) council's proposal to name a stretch of road in the city after him, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that he never asked for it, and made it clear that it should not be proceeded with if the road already has a name.

The proposal had evoked strong objections with a section of people, historians and activities, including Mysuru royal scion and MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar expressing reservation, noting that there is evidence for the stretch being named "Princess Road".

Wadiyar and some others also provided documents for the road's historical and cultural significance. The MP had also recently met the MCC Commissioner and submitted the documents.

"I have so far not told anyone to name a road after me. I have been in politics for 40 years. When I was told by Mysuru University that I will be given Doctorate, I said no, because I felt that I don't have that eligibility," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

Responding to a question regarding the controversy, he said, "If there is another name for that road, it (renaming) should not be done." "I don't know anything about it. No one asked me. No one had discussed it with me. I have not said that the road should be named after me," he added.

Mysuru is the home district of Siddaramaiah, who is serving his second term as the chief minister.

According to official sources, the proposal is to name the stretch of KRS Road from Lakshmi Venkataramanaswamy temple to Outer Ring Road junction as "Siddaramaiah Arogya Marga".

Based on a suggestion by Chamaraja Congress MLA Harish Gowda, the MCC took the decision at its meeting on November 22, 2024. The matter was placed before the Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru before being tabled in the council meeting.

The MCC then issued a newspaper notice inviting objections from the public within 30 days, on December 13, official sources said.

Wadiyar had said that the road was named as Princess Road after two distinguished princesses: Princess Krishnajammanni and Princess Cheluvajammanni, both daughters of Maharaja Chamaraja Wadiyar and Maharani Kempananjammanni of Vanivilasa Sannidhana.

He said Princess Krishnajammanni Sanatorium (PKTB Hospital), established in the name of Princess Krishnajammanni, is also situated on Princess Road, adding that after the princess and three daughters succumbed to tuberculosis between 1904 and 1913, her family donated 100 acres of land to establish PKTB Hospital.

Opposition parties, BJP and JD(S) too, had raised strong objections to the road being named after Siddaramaiah. Some leaders had even said that they had no objections to name some other road after the CM.

RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna, on whose complaint a case was registered in the MUDA site allotment scam had said, he along with others have submitted some documents to the corporation officials along with objections to naming the road after Siddaramaiah, and if the officials decide unilaterally beyond their jurisdictional powers, he will seek intervention from the court. PTI KSU KH