HC refuses to interfere in howdah, throne row

The High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition, which had alleged that the State government had “illegally” left the golden throne and the golden howdah with the members of Mysuru royal family and was illegally paying lakhs of rupees as “honorarium” to them during the Dasara festival every year for using the howdah and the throne.

A Division Bench, comprising acting Chief Justice Subhra Kamal Mukherjee and Justice B.V. Nagarathna, passed the order while observing that the court could not interfere in the issue as payment of honorarium made by the Government to any person is a matter which is left within the wisdom of State government.

P.V. Nanjaraja Urs, a retired professor of Mysore University, had sought a direction to the government to immediately take possession of the golden throne and howdah and stoop paying royalty or honorarium to the royal family.

It was contended in the petition that after the abolition of the privy purse, status and special privilege to all the ex-maharajas in India during 1971 following amendment to the Constitution, there was no need for the government to pay any royalty to the members of royal family.

However, the Bench said that the issue regarding control on howdah and throne are matter concerning the State government and members of the royal family while expressing doubt about the public interest involved in the issue raised in the petition.

A single judge bench had referred the petition to the Division Bench for the reason that the issue raised in the petition was in the nature of public interest.