Mysuru: Karnataka minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah on Tuesday refused to apologise for his remarks on the ownership of Mysuru Palace, asserting that the property belongs to the government and that his statement had been misinterpreted.
Clarifying his comments, Yathindra said he had merely responded to a letter written by Pramoda Devi Wadiyar and had not made any disrespectful remarks against the erstwhile royal family.
“I stand by my statement. There is no question of apologising. We have great respect for the royal family, whose contribution to the development of the state has been immense,” he said.
The minister maintained that his remarks were based on the Palace Acquisition Act and denied making any inappropriate comments about Mysuru Palace or the Ambari, the ceremonial howdah associated with the Mysuru Dasara procession.
Yathindra alleged that his statement was being misinterpreted and the issue politicised. He reiterated that he had committed no mistake and would not apologise.
On whether he would hold discussions with the royal family to resolve the issue, the minister said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had already indicated that he would speak to the family members.
“There is no need for me to go and speak to them separately,” Yathindra said.
