But ``I expect, and my government expects, that the public festivities will be held through mutual cooperation between us and the scion of the erstwhile royal family, Srikantadatta Wodeyar'' and the ``responsibility for that is with both''.

She was responding to questions from media persons here on Thursday, on Wodeyar's charge regarding threats by state officials of preventing a religious ceremony from being conducted at the palace on Thursday. Wodeyar had told The Indian Express on Wednesday that the officials had made the threat on behalf of the government, as part of an ultimatum on the handing over of the keys to the room in which the royal family's golden howdah is kept.

Asked for her reaction to Wodeyar's counter-offensive that he would now not give them the royal howdah, theminister said the state government was ``not ready to break with tradition'' and hence had made ``all arrangements'' for a ``howdah on the elephant'' that will lead the Dussehra procession at Mysore.

She was however unwilling to confirm media reports that the government had made preparations for a wooden howdah to take the place of the golden one used by the former Mysore royals, if such an eventuality were to arise.

At the same time, she was hopeful that Wodeyar ``may not refuse'' them the royal howdah which has been a part of the centuries-old tradition of the state. The annual procession has a sanctity to it, and is part of the tradition and sentiment of the people of the state, she said. There is a lot of difference between Dussehra and other festivals. ``Nobody should be allowed to reduce that sanctity''.

Asked if the government would be willing to wait till just before the commencement of the festival, for Wodeyar to hand over the howdah as is the traditional practice, she said she could not giveher reply today. ``My Chief Minister is on his way to Delhi and so I can give my reply only after speaking to him tonight'' she added.

Meanwhile, under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, who heads the Dussehra celebration committee, ``all preparations are ready'' including the accessories required for the lead elephant, she said indirectly hinting at an alternate howdah.

On Wodeyar's charge that district officials including the Divisional Commissioner and the SP had sought to threaten him, she said she would have to talk to the DC herself in order to confirm that and find out its context.

To another question she said that ``Even today, if he (Wodeyar) wants to talk, I will show him the same respect as before, by going over to invite him to the festivities.'' When reminded of Wodeyar's complaint that his name had not been included in this year's invitation card, in a sharp departure from tradition, she said ``This year he has not even met us''. Every year, after the government gets the elephant,``we approach Wodeyar for his permission to include his name in the invitation to the state functions. But this year, he has not even met us.''

``Nobody should be hurt by this. It was his father who asked the state government to conduct the Dussehra celebrations. The government has never shown dishonour to the royal family. We do not wish to do that...But when changes take place in a democracy, we have to adjust to it...''