BJP MP Yaduveer Wadiyar defends role of royal families in India's progress

Kodagu (Karnataka) [India], January 28 (ANI): BJP Member of Parliament from Mysore-Kodagu, Yaduveer Wadiyar, expressed his disappointment over recent remarks of Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, dismissing the contributions of India's royal families.
Taking to social media website X, he stated, "As a proud representative of the people and the custodian of the Wadiyar family, I find it disappointing to hear comments dismissing the contributions of India's royal families."
He went on to note the Wadiyars' historic role in progressive leadership, including their establishment of the University of Mysore in 1916, championing women's education, abolishing child marriage, and pioneering industrial and infrastructure projects, such as Asia's first hydroelectric power station at Shivanasamudra.
"Our family, like others such as the Gaekwads of Vadodara and Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur, prioritized social reform and development. These efforts, including supporting luminaries like Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, have had a lasting impact on India," Wadiyar emphasized.
Tagging Rahul Gandhi in the post, Wadiyar also urged critics to gain a deeper understanding of the historical context before making sweeping statements.
"It is easy to cast aspersions without fully understanding the historical context," he said. "However, I urge those making such statements to reflect on the documented contributions of India's royal families."
He further highlighted that the royal families often sacrificed their personal wealth and power for the betterment of their people, stating, "These families stood for progress, justice, and development, often sacrificing personal wealth and power to ensure their people's well-being."
Wadiyar also called for a fair and respectful acknowledgment of the royal families' contributions, saying, "It's important to acknowledge these contributions with respect and not dismiss the role royal families played in building a progressive nation. History deserves fairness, not distortion."
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Monday while addressing a public gathering at the birthplace of Dr BR Ambedkar in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh had said, "Before the constitution and the independence, the poor, Dalits, the backward classes, the Adivasis, had no rights in this country. Only the 'Rajas and Maharajas' had rights. That change was brought after the independence. You were given land and the land rights to that that land were granted."
Gandhi while addressing a crowd slammed the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), claiming that both parties are against the Indian Constitution and aim to dismantle it. (ANI)