Siddaramaiah backs demand to name Hadagali engineering college after M.P. Prakash

Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said he would write to the State government urging it to name the Government Engineering College at Hoovina Hadagali in Vijayanagara district after former Minister M.P. Prakash, describing it as a fitting tribute to one of Karnataka’s most principled and scholarly politicians.

Speaking at a programme organised to mark the 86th birth anniversary of Prakash and after unveiling his statue at Hoovina Hadagali, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the late leader’s name should be permanently associated with the institution in recognition of his lifelong public service.

He said Karnataka had lost an honest, value-based and people-centric leader with the demise of Prakash about 15 years ago. “He was a gentleman, a statesman and an ajata shatru who remained committed to his ideals throughout his political career,” he said.

Recalling his long association with the former Minister, Mr. Siddaramaiah said Prakash was not only a close friend but also a political guide. Whenever he faced difficult issues as a Minister, he would first discuss them with Prakash before taking a decision.

He described Prakash as one of the most well-read politicians in Karnataka, saying his deep interest in books had given him exceptional knowledge across a wide range of subjects and helped him develop a scientific temper.

“Though Prakash and I entered politics around the same time, I was never as scholarly or intellectually accomplished as he was. I had the opportunity to serve as Deputy Chief Minister before him in the J.H. Patel government, but he remained a leader with an unwavering commitment to social justice and never compromised on his principles throughout his political career,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said that Prakash had never resorted to caste-based politics or sought political mileage through religious leaders. “Had he exploited caste politics, he could have reached even higher positions. But he remained committed to secular values and principles,” he said.

Recalling the political developments in the State in 2004, Mr. Siddaramaiah said: “We were all in the Janata Dal (Secular). During discussions on who should lead the government, Prakash proposed my name for the Chief Minister’s post. He never sought the position for himself. Later, after the JD(S)-Congress coalition government was formed, N. Dharam Singh became Chief Minister. I served as Deputy Chief Minister and Prakash as a Minister,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.

The former Chief Minister also said Prakash possessed remarkable knowledge of almost every government department and could effectively respond to discussions on any subject in the Cabinet or the Assembly.

Expressing regret that Prakash never became Chief Minister, Mr. Siddaramaiah said Karnataka had lost an able administrator and statesman whose ideals and public service would continue to inspire future generations.

“When I was handling the State finances, it was Prakash, then Kannada and Culture Minister, who had persuaded me to sanction funds for launching the Hampi Utsav,” he said.