Mysuru: Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, Kannada language and music touch the heart directly.  Speaking after inaugurating the three-day Mysuru Sangeetha Sugandha-2024 at KSOU Convocation Hall here this afternoon, she said music deserves a special mention, which was not just patronised by the connoisseurs, but also the Wadiyars, the erstwhile rulers of Mysore, with the then Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar himself being an ace composer, with several kritis to his credit.

“Mysuru is not just known for the fragrance of sandalwood but also the fragrance of the language. The doyen of music Purandaradasa’s compositions evoke a feeling of devotion,” said the Union Minister.

Nirmala Sitharaman also highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central Government focuses on Vikas and Virasat, giving due impetus to development, music tradition and history respectively.

The Union Minister, who arrived in city from Bengaluru by road at around 12.30 pm, will visit  the Planetarium site at Chamundi Foothill between 3 pm and 4.15 pm. Following this she will return to Bengaluru at 4.30 pm by road and stay overnight in the State Capital.

Man vents ire against Prime Minister Modi

Soon after Nirmala Sitharaman concluded her speech, a person seated among the audience came near the dais, only to vent his anguish against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, catching the gathering by surprise. The person identified as Ravi, a hotel worker from Sugganahalli, K.R. Nagar taluk in the district, spoke in Kannada and Hindi and said “Modi Government is looting the country and there is no benefit to Karnataka State in particular.” Jayalakshmipuram Police, who swung into action, whisked him away, even as the Union Minister instructed the Police to spare him from taking any action.