Bengaluru: A fierce political and cultural controversy has erupted in Karnataka following a controversial statement by PWD Minister Dr HC Mahadevappa, who allegedly claimed that Tipu Sultan laid the foundation stone for the historic Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) Dam. The remarks have drawn strong condemnation from the BJP, royal family sympathizers, historians, and civil society alike, with many accusing Mahadevappa of indulging in “vote-bank politics” and deliberate distortion of Karnataka’s revered historical legacy.
Leading the charge, BJP state president BY Vijayendra came down heavily on the Congress and Mahadevappa, accusing them of insulting the extraordinary legacy of Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar — the monarch under whose reign the dam was conceived and built. “Kannambadi Katte (KRS Dam) is not just a structure; it is a symbol of vision, sacrifice, and hard-earned development. To now reduce that legacy into a false narrative for appeasement politics is shameful,” Vijayendra said.
He further elaborated on the historical timeline, stating, “The construction of the Kannambadi Dam began in 1911 and was completed in 1932. Tipu Sultan, who died in 1799, had nothing to do with it. The Congress party is now shamelessly attempting to rewrite history to appease certain vote-banks. If Minister Mahadevappa has any records of Tipu Sultan’s involvement, let him make them public. We, in turn, are ready to release documented historical records proving every step of the dam’s development under Nalvadi’s rule.”
ಮೊದಲಿನಿಂದಲೂ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ @siddaramaiah ನವರು ರಾಜಮನೆತನದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಅಸಡ್ಡೆಯಿಂದ ನಡೆದುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ, ಮೊನ್ನೆಯಷ್ಟೇ ನಾಲ್ವಡಿ ಅವರಿಗಿಂತಲೂ ತಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆಯೇ ಮಿಗಿಲು ಎಂದು ವಿಧಾನ ಪರಿಷತ್ ಸದಸ್ಯ ಯತೀಂದ್ರ ಹೇಳಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ, ಇದೀಗ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳ ಹಿಂಬಾಲಕ ಸಚಿವ ಹೆಚ್. ಸಿ. ಮಹದೇವಪ್ಪನವರು ಕನ್ನಂಬಾಡಿ ಕಟ್ಟೆಗೆ ಮೊದಲು ಅಡಿಪಾಯ… pic.twitter.com/AAlarAKZ13
— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) August 4, 2025
The outrage deepened as Legislative Council member Chalavadi Narayanaswamy too joined in, slamming the Congress for undermining the legacy of one of Karnataka’s most respected rulers. “Statements like these are anti-historical and are made with the intention to divide. This is an insult to Kannada heritage and to the great contributions of Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar and Sir M Visvesvaraya,” Narayanaswamy posted on social media.
The KRS Dam one of India’s earliest civil engineering marvels — is widely acknowledged as the result of the vision of Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar and the engineering brilliance of Sir M. Visvesvaraya. When the project encountered funding shortages, Nalvadi’s mother, Vani Vilas Sannidhana, and his wife Krishna Vilas Sannidhana, famously donated their personal jewelry to finance its completion a tale of sacrifice etched in Karnataka’s collective memory.
“The Congress government has often shown indifference, even contempt, for the Mysuru royal family,” said Vijayendra, recalling that Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra had recently compared his father to Nalvadi, claiming Siddaramaiah was superior. “This is not just arrogance; it is a concerted attempt to erase history that does not serve their political narrative,” he said.
According to critics, Mahadevappa’s statement though later “clarified” was not a slip of the tongue, but a carefully calculated move aimed at appeasing a particular community ahead of upcoming elections. “The Congress has reduced history to a tool for minority appeasement. This is not just factually wrong but morally bankrupt,” Narayanaswamy added.
Cultural commentators and historians have also weighed in, expressing concern that politically motivated narratives are undermining the state’s rich and well-documented history. “This is not an innocent error. It reflects a trend where facts are sacrificed at the altar of electoral strategy. KRS is the pride of Karnataka. Dragging it into communal identity politics is both dangerous and dishonest,” said Dr Shelvapillai Aiyangar , a historian from Mysore.
Facing the backlash, Mahadevappa issued a clarification stating that he had no intention of attributing the KRS Dam’s construction to Tipu Sultan and that his remarks were misinterpreted. “I have always acknowledged Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar as the real builder of KRS,” he said.
However, the BJP has refused to accept the explanation, stating that the damage is already done. “This is a textbook case of Congress’s communal appeasement agenda. Such distortions not only hurt the sentiments of the people of Karnataka but also set a dangerous precedent,” said senior BJP leader R. Ashoka.
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