Prathap Simha | Photo Credit: file photo
BJP leader and former MP, Prathap Simha, has backed the Mysuru City Corporation’s (MCC) proposal to name a stretch of KRS road in the city after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Even though he opposed Mr. Siddaramaiah on ideological issues, Mr. Simha sought to make it clear while speaking to reporters in Mysuru on Wednesday that the Chief Minister was an illustrious son of Mysuru, whose contribution to the development of the city could not be ignored.
Mr. Simha’s support for naming a stretch of KRS road from Lakshmi Venkataramanaswamy Temple till the Outer Ring Road after Mr. Siddaramaiah comes in the wake of opposition to the proposal from certain quarters, including JD (S), an alliance partner of the BJP.
The proposal to name the stretch of road after Mr. Siddaramaiah is in keeping with the decades-long tradition of naming roads, circles, parks, institutions and dams after achievers.
Praising Mr. Siddaramaiah, Mr. Simha said he was a popular leader of the State, who had become the Chief Minister twice by winning a popular mandate.
He acknowledged the contribution of Mr. Siddaramaiah, along with former MLA, Vasu, for the setting of a 200-bed branch of the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research in Mysuru on the same road for which his name had been proposed. Besides, Mr. Siddaramaiah was also instrumental in establishment of a super-speciality hospital on the same stretch of road at a cost of ₹127 crore to ease the pressure on K.R. Hospital in Mysuru.
Hence, the proposal to name the stretch of KRS road as ‘Siddaramaiah Arogya Marga’ was in keeping with the tradition of naming roads after achievers, he said while making it clear that achievers need not belong only to BJP or JD (S), but can also come from Congress as in the case of Mr. Siddaramaiah while hitting out at the opponents for displaying “narrow mindedness” and “pettiness”.
When pointed out that the erstwhile Maharajas had established a tuberculosis hospital – Princess Krishnajammanni Tuberculosis (PKTB) hospital – on the road, Mr. Simha said the argued that a number of roads, circles, hospital, zoo, parks etc have already been named after the Maharajas.
Even though the Maharajas were benefactors of various projects, it was because of the “brilliant minds” of Dewans like Rangacharlu, Sir M. Visvesvaraya, Sir Seshadri Iyer, and Sir Mirza Ismail that were responsible for implementation of the projects, he said while asking how KRS dam could have been built without Sir M. Visvesvaraya or electricity could have been brought to Bengaluru without Sir Mirza Ismail.
It was necessary to acknowledge the contribution of achievers in the post-colonial period, he said while listing out Mr. Siddaramaiah’s contribution for even the construction of the new Deputy Commissioner’s office and laying of the Rajapath — concrete road on which the Dasara procession passes.
“Let us not see Mr. Siddaramaiah as a Congress leader. We should see him as an illustrious son of Mysuru,” said Mr. Simha.
Published – December 25, 2024 08:12 pm IST
