BJP

Ram Nath Kovind

Tipu Sultan

Karnataka

Ananth Kumar

Wodeyars

What State Legislature wanted President to say

Jawaharlal Nehru

What President actually said

Rajendra Prasad

Jain

Vijayanagara Empire

Bengaluru

Speech copy punctures accusations of theWas it the Congress that forced Presidentto acknowledgeor did he speak his own mind? While the BJP has alleged that it was thegovernment which tried to tutor the President, Bangalore Mirror has accessed documents which show that the First Citizen did not go by the script. In fact, the speech prepared by the Secretariat has no mention of Tipu Sultan.The BJP has been opposing the centenary celebrations of the Tiger of Mysore claiming he was a tyrant. The showdown came to a head when Union ministerHegde asked that his name be dropped for the official invite. And then on Wednesday, President Kovind paid glowing tributes to Tipu Sultan during the diamond jubilee celebrations of Vidhana Soudha, forcing the state BJP on the back foot. It hit back by saying that the Congress had forced the President to say what he did.The original draft of the President’s speech prepared by the Karnataka Legislature Secretariat does not have any mention of Tipu. In fact, the closest that the speech comes to the Tiger of Mysore is the mention of Mysore — “the erstwhile state of Mysore state played an effective role during the freedom struggle...” and “Mysore city ruled byhad palatial buildings ...”Speaker KB Koliwad recalled the sequence of events. “According to the BJP leaders, it was the preparation of the speech which delayed the event by 15 minutes. But when the President stood up to address the joint session, there was no copy of the speech. Immediately, a member of the President’s Bodyguard turned up and handed over a file containing a bundle of freshly printed sheets.“As he began to read out from the pages (a paragraph on each page), the secretariat staff were surprised. The president had completely deviated from what had been actually sent and acknowledged by his secretariat via e-mail,” he said.“The President’s office had demanded points along with other details of the programme and I personally signed the document and sent them via e-mail on October 20. But not even 5 per cent of what we sent was included in his speech,” he continued.In his address during the diamond jubilee celebrations, President Kovind spoke about Karnataka’s rich history and showered praises over heroes representing prominent communities of the state. Impressed by his speech, CM Siddaramaiah — who had disrupted Rajya Sabha proceedings in July when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s name was omitted in the President’s speech — hail it as a ‘Statesman-like address’.Ellarigu Namaskara (Kannada Word for wishing everyone)1 The erstwhile Mysore state played effective role during the freedom struggle. Contributions by KC Reddy, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Kadidal Manjappa, KT Bhashyam, S Nijalingappa to the cause of freedom struggle was phenomenal.2 Mahatma Gandhi’s visit to various parts of Mysore and Mumbai Karnataka electrified the people. It was the same leaders and others whom I have mentioned above gave a shape to the destiny of the people in the aftermath of Indepdence3 Foundation for Vidhana Soudha was laid by former PMin 1951 and inaugurated when Kadidal Manjappa was the CM in 19564 I have no hesitation or rather I am really proud to say that this splendid building Vidhana Soudha is an expression of values in the real true sense of the word5 Late Kengal Hanumanthaiah used to say Äny common man can enter this buidling”. But when officials questioned him and he would have replied, “Just look at the stairs at the Eastern Entrance”6 The 45 steps with 204 ft wide and 70 feet deep gives a direct access to foyer of the first floor leading to the assembly chamber7 Vidhana Soudha was conceived and constructed at a time when it was a fashion to go in for American style of construction8 Vidhana Soudha is a blend of Roman and Dravidian cultures with a palatial look9 Mysore city ruled by Wodeyars had palatial buildings which had the capability to work as State Secretariat10 I can go on and on to describe and admire the intricate architectural details and aesthetics of this iconic building11 Vidhana Soudha symbolises the timeless motion12 I am immensely delighted to be part of the 60th year of celebration of this historic building which according to me is never to be found anywhere in the world1 VidhanSoudha, the seat of the legislature in Karnataka. It was inaugurated in October 1956 by the first President of India, Dr. I am humbled to be following in his footsteps2 I t is not just the 60th birthday of this building that we are marking. This is also the diamond jubilee of the debates and discussions in the two Houses, of legislations that have been passed and policies that have been shaped for the betterment of the lives of the people of Karnataka3 We are aware of the three D’s of the legislature, that it is a place to debate, dissent and finally decide. And if we add the fourth D, decency, only then does the fifth D, namely democracy, become a reality4 This spirit of debate and discussion, of inquiry and of service, is not limited to simply the VidhanSoudha or to political life. It has existed in the soil of this great state. Karnataka has been known through history for spiritualism as much as science, for its farmers as much as its technologists5 This is a land with ancientand Buddhist traditions. AdiShankaracharya founded the math in Sringeri in this very state. Gulbarga is a centre of Sufi culture. The reformist Lingayat movement under spiritual leaders such as Basavacharyawas also located in Karnataka6 Karnataka is a land of formidable soldiers. Krishnadeva Raya was the greatest ruler of the, and remains an inspiration for all Indians. Kempe Gowda was the founder of. Rani Chennamma of Kittur and Rani Abbakka led among the earliest battles against colonial powers7 Tipu Sultan died a heroic death fighting the British. He was also a pioneer in the development and use of Mysore rockets in warfare. This technology was later adopted by the Europeans8 This is also the seat of education, technology and science. The engineer-statesman M. Visvesvaraya was a builder of modern Karnataka and of modern India. He was responsible for major irrigation projects that continue to help farmers to this day9 This building is a monument to the history of public service in Karnataka. A galaxy of political stalwarts has participated in the proceedings of the two Houses that meet here10 It is for the current members of the two Houses to take forward the legacy of these remarkable public representatives. It is for the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council to function as sacred temples of democracy11 Karnataka’s dreams are not for Karnataka alone; they are dreams for all of India. Karnataka is an engine of the Indian economy. It is a mini-India that draws – without losing its cultural and linguistic distinctiveness – youth from all over the country12 As you sit and work in this VidhanSoudha, I am confident you will never forget this and will continue to draw inspiration from it