KPCC spokesperson M. Lakshman on Sunday lauded the Minister in charge of Mysuru district, senior district officials and staff for successfully organising the recently concluded Dasara festivities, claiming that the celebrations drew an overwhelming number of visitors, including dignitaries and prominent personalities.

“The city recorded a traffic of nearly six lakh vehicles from outside during the festivities,” he said.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Lakshman said Dasara was organised in a well-planned manner under the leadership of Yathindra Siddaramaiah.

The district administration and the police had coordinated effectively to ensure the smooth conduct of the festivities, barring a few incidents on the day of Jamboo Savari, he said.

The police had efficiently managed security arrangements for VVIPs and VIPs, including judges, ambassadors, Chief Ministers of neighbouring States, elected representatives, senior bureaucrats, sportspersons, film personalities and other prominent visitors, he added.

Around 8,000 police personnel, along with eight IPS officers and senior officers of the ranks of Inspector-General of Police, Deputy Inspector-General of Police and Superintendent of Police, were deployed for security and crowd management, he said.

Mr. Lakshman criticised Krishnaraja MLA T.S. Srivatsa for accusing the government of protocol violations. He defended the participation of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s wife in offering flowers during the Jamboo Savari, maintaining that it did not constitute a protocol violation. He accused the MLA of making baseless allegations.

Mr. Lakshman said Dasara had sent a positive message across the country and helped promote Mysuru as a tourist destination, generating tourism-related revenue. The government had organised the festivities successfully, but the Opposition was criticising it instead of acknowledging the benefits of the celebrations, he alleged.

Mr. Lakshman said he had lodged a complaint over the omission of the Mysuru district in-charge Minister’s name from a Dasara advertisement, which featured the photograph of the Mysuru MP belonging to a different political party.