Humnabad (K'taka): Karnataka Chief Minister N Dharam Singh today (Oct 6, 2004) said he has directed the officials not to go ahead with the process of take over of the historical Mysore palace.

"It is an emotive and sensitive issue" particularly coming ahead of the Dasara festivities beginning in the last week of this month, Singh told reporters in Humnabad.

He expressed surprise over the action of the authorities in initiating the process for acquiring the Mysore palace.

Singh has been invited to inaugurate the nine-day Dasara festivities by the committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Singh's move to apply the brake comes close on the heels of appointment of Vinaykumar, principal secretary, Infrastructure Development, as commissioner to proceed with the acquisition process.

The J H Patel Government had brought a law to acquire the palace but the scion of the erstwhile Mysore royal family Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar had challenged it in the court.

The previous S M Krishna Government had however kept the issue in abeyance and the renewed move on acquisition comes after a six-year gap.