Siddaramaiah statue installed, removed before CM DK Shivakumar passes area
What's the story
A nine-foot statue of former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was mysteriously installed at the High Court Circle in Kalaburagi. The statue, however, was removed within hours by city corporation officials. The removal took place just before Chief Minister DK Shivakumar was to pass through the area for a government event inauguration.
Statute removal
Statue installed by Siddaramaiah supporters
The statue was reportedly installed without permission from the district administration or the corporation by a group of Siddaramaiah supporters.
The group had earlier demanded that High Court Circle be renamed after the former CM, a demand that is still pending approval.
This isn't the first time such an incident has occurred at this location; three years ago, a similar statue was installed and later removed.
Swift action
Local administration acted swiftly
The local administration acted swiftly after learning about the unauthorized installation late Wednesday night, The Times of India reported.
They covered the statue and called in police personnel to prevent any confrontation.
The structure was then removed and taken to a safe place, an official said.
Gurunath Pujari, district president of Kuruba Sangha, admitted that installing the statue without waiting for approval was wrong but said protests would be held over its removal.
Political tensions
Political tensions within Congress
The incident has also highlighted ongoing political tensions within the Karnataka Congress.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka commented on the situation, saying, "The CM may have changed, the statue may have been moved, but the Congress succession war hasn't ended yet."
After Shivakumar replaced Siddaramaiah as CM, BK Hariprasad was appointed state Congress president to prevent power concentration around Shivakumar.