A decision to rename the stretch as 'Siddaramaiah Aarogya Marg' was made on 22 November 2024, based on Chamaraja MLA Harish Gowda's suggestion.
Published Jan 05, 2025 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jan 05, 2025 | 8:00 AM
Mysuru-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Wadiyar met the commissioner and provided what he claimed as proof to establish the historic importance of the road. (Yaduveer Wadiyar/X)
The Mysuru City Corporation (MCC)’s proposal to rename a stretch of the historic KRS Road as ‘Siddaramaiah Aarogya Marg’ has sparked a controversy, with the JD(S) accusing the ruling Congress of illegally using officials to push its agenda.
A decision to rename the stretch was made on 22 November 2024 based on Chamaraja MLA Harish Gowda’s suggestion. It was placed before the district deputy commissioner ahead of tabling it in the corporation council.
On 13 December, the MCC issued a notification in newspapers, inviting objections from the public within 30 days.
Hitting hard at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, JD(S) leader and Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel HD Kumaraswamy questioned the former’s silence on the issue.
“Perhaps the chief minister aspires to have a road named after him. His strategic silence and mobilisation of party workers suggest so,” he told the media ahead of a District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting in Mysuru on Saturday, 4 January.
The JD(S) leader further urged Siddaramaiah to choose another place if he wanted a road to be named after him.
“If he genuinely wishes for something to be named after him, let him consider Devanur or Kesarahalli. After all, those are places where he claims to have achieved the most,” Kumaraswamy said.
Kumaraswamy also questioned JD(S)’s alliance partner BJP’s protest. “Why protest under the sun? It’s evident that the chief minister himself is behind this initiative,” he said.
“Even when the renaming of Princess Road was being debated, he stayed silent. If he truly wants his name on something, let him consider Kesarahalli instead of removing existing names honoring the Maharajas,” he added.
The MCC was planning to rename the stretch of KRS Road from Lakshmi Venkataramanaswamy Temple to Outer Ring Road Junction.
The Mysuru centre of the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Science and Research has come up on the stretch. Siddaramaiah had given sanction to set up the super-specialty hospital during his previous tenure as the chief minister.
On 2 January 2025, Yaduveer Wadiyar, the MP representing Mysuru-Kodagu, met the Mysuru city commissioner and expressed his disapproval of renaming Princess Road.
“Today, I met the commissioner of Mysuru City Corporation to express our angst against the proposal to rename Princess Road. The commissioner had earlier stated that ‘there are no official references to the name Princess Road,” he said.
The MP further added that documents were provided to highlight the significance of the road and urged the MCC to withdraw the recommendation to rename the road.
“During the meeting, we presented documents highlighting the historical significance of the road, references from central government maps, and petitions from citizens and various organisations opposing the renaming. I urged the commissioner to thoroughly review all records and the historical importance of the Princess Road,” Wadiyar said.
“Preserving Mysuru’s rich heritage and respecting the sentiments of the people remains my utmost priority,” the MP added.
The meeting was in response to the MCC commissioner’s stand that there has been no references to an official name for KRS Road.
ಮೈಸೂರಿನ ಕೆಆರ್'ಎಸ್ ರಸ್ತೆಗೆ ಮರುನಾಮಕರಣ ಮಾಡುವ ಪ್ರಸ್ತಾಪದ ಕುರಿತು "ಕೆಆರ್ಎಸ್ ರಸ್ತೆಗೆ ಅಧಿಕೃತ ಹೆಸರು ನೀಡಿರುವ ಉಲ್ಲೇಖಗಳಿಲ್ಲ" ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿಕೆ ನೀಡಿರುವ ಮೈಸೂರು ಮಹಾನಗರ ಪಾಲಿಕೆಯ ಆಯುಕ್ತರನ್ನು ಇಂದು ಭೇಟಿಯಾಗಿˌ ಇತಿಹಾಸದಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ರಸ್ತೆಗಿರುವ ಪ್ರಾಮುಖ್ಯತೆˌ ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ನಕ್ಷೆಗಳ ದಾಖಲಾತಿಗಳು ಹಾಗೂ ಮರುನಾಮಕರಣ ಬೇಡ ಎಂದು… pic.twitter.com/igOslDfOiq
— Yaduveer Wadiyar (@yaduveerwadiyar) January 2, 2025
The MP took to X to provide proof. “However, the above documents provide significant evidence worth reviewing: A distant relative of Sri Mirza Ismail, the esteemed Diwan of Mysore, resided on what was known as Princess Road,” he said.
“Letters sent from this address reference the name ‘Princess Road’. The official Mysore tour map/guide published by the Government of India’s Survey and Mapping Department explicitly marks and names the road as ‘Princess Road’,” the lawmaker claimed.
“Records from 1921 confirm that the Mysore Urban Development Trust Board formally named this road as ‘Princess Road’. Instead of creating unnecessary confusion by proposing a renaming, it is vital to acknowledge the road’s historical and cultural significance,” the MP further stated.
“Recognising its origins and honoring the contributions of the royal family to society is essential. Ensuring their legacy is preserved and introducing this heritage to future generations is a shared responsibility of the corporation and the government,” he added.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
