MANDYA; Karnataka Social Welfare and Mysuru district in-charge minister HC Mahadevappa sparked a controversy on Sunday, claiming that Tipu Sultan, not Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, who first laid the foundation for the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) dam. His remarks came on August 3, the death anniversary of Wadiyar — who is widely credited for his visionary contributions to Mysuru’s development, including the construction of KRS dam.
After laying the foundation stone for the Dr BR Ambedkar Bhavan in Srirangapatna, Mahadevappa said, “Tipu Sultan laid the foundation stone, but no one dares to acknowledge this. There is clear evidence of this on the main gate of KRS dam.” He said, “Those who don’t understand history cannot create history. Tipu was a secular ruler. There’s a mosque and a temple next to each other. Allahu Akbar is heard in the mosque, and temple bells ring at the same time. Tipu listened to both with calmness and acceptance.”
Praising contributions of the ruler, Mahadevappa said said he abolished the exploitative Devadasi system, resisted giving land to the rich, made Gubbi and Harihara commercial centres and introduced sericulture to India. “Tipu was a great freedom fighter who fought the British. The palace of Mysuru kingdom was located in Srirangapatna,” he said.