Mysore/Mysuru: Even as the credit war over naming of Mysore Airport in Mandakalli continues between the Congress and the BJP, Prof. P.V. Nanjaraj Urs has said that it was the Siddharamaiah led Congress Government which made the first move in this regard, by passing a Cabinet resolution to name airport after Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.
Speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of Siddharamaiah book release programme at Kalamandira here on Saturday, Prof. Nanjaraj Urs said that the citizens of Mysuru have long been demanding naming of the airport after Nalwadi. It is learnt that the State Cabinet which met on July 22 has adopted a resolution on naming Mysore Airport after Nalwadi. But the fact is that the Congress Government headed by Siddharamaiah had written to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Oct.9, 2015, seeking to name the airport after Nalwad, he said while displaying certain documents.
Stating that he had no objections to the BJP leaders claiming ‘credit’ for the State’s development, Prof. Urs said that at the same time, the BJP Government should have very much taken into consideration the Congress Government’s decision.
MP criticises Congress’ claims
Meanwhile, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha has criticised the Congress’ claims that it was the Siddharamaiah Government which had made the first move regarding naming of airport after Nalwadi.
Reacting to Prof. Nanjaraj Urs’ claims, at his office at Jaladarshini Guest House on Hunsur Road on Saturday, Simha claimed that he was the first to propose Nalwadi’s name for the airport. Ridiculing the Congress and Prof. Urs, Simha maintained that the Mandakalli airport appeared to be a grazing ground when Siddharamaiah was the CM, with no flight operations from the Airport. But now, they are saying that it was the Congress which had first written to AAI.
No flights operated from the airport during the Congress regime and Congress leaders should stop making false claims and must refrain from boasting about their role in the naming of the airport after Nalwadi, he noted.
Mr.Pratap Simha is rightly indignant at Congress trying to claim credit for naming Mysuru airport after Nalwadi Krishna Raj Wodeyar.What is worse, the former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had the audacity to claim that his rule of five years was as good as the rule by Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar though his (divide and) rule was lacklustre and was steeped in corruption.It is also glaring that Mysuru airport was not at developed during his reign and remained a grazing field without flights.