Prez Murmu's visit to Udaipur palace draws criticism from Mewar royal family, including BJP MP, MLA
Udaipur: President Droupadi Murmu's recent visit to the City Palace in Udaipur has sparked controversy among some members of the erstwhile Mewar royal family, including BJP MP and MLA.
President Murmu attended the 32nd convocation of Mohanlal Sukhadia University last week before making a personal visit to the City Palace, where she, along with Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagde and Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa, was hosted by Lakshayaraj Singh Mewar and his family.
Mahima Kumari Mewar, BJP MP from Rajsamand, and her husband Vishvaraj Singh Mewar, BJP MLA from Nathdwara, voiced their objections to the President’s visit. They highlighted that the City Palace is currently subject to legal disputes and stated she did not meet Mahendra Singh Mewar (Vishvaraj’s father), whom they regard as the head of the family, as reported by The Indian Express on Monday.
Mahendra Mewar is the elder brother of Arvind Mewar, who is Lakshayaraj Singh’s father. The family traces its ancestry to Maharana Pratap.
Vishvaraj stated that upon learning about the President’s visit to the City Palace, he and his wife wrote a letter to her. “In the letter, we had stated in brief that City Palace is our family property and there is a stay order on it by the courts. Additionally, there is a contempt application pending in the Supreme Court for some part of the property,” he said, as quoted by the publication. The property has been declared as a Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) by the Tax Department and is under appeal in the High Court.
The couple also expressed concern that her visit could undermine the dignity of the presidential office, stating, “the President by visiting the above properties is seriously compromising the dignity of the Office, that too without any communication with the Karta and head of the family,” referring to Mahendra Singh. They had requested Murmu to cancel the programme.
“I want to say that a personal visit is fine for a common man but she is the President and there is dignity to the President’s office,” Mahima remarked. She also noted that after contacting the Chief Minister’s Office, the District Collector told her that he had informed the relevant authorities about the ongoing litigation regarding the property. However, she alleged that he did not provide a “correct report” to them.
Meanwhile, Udaipur Collector Arvind Kumar Poswal stated that it was a private event, and no comments were requested from the district administration, nor did they provide a report.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
