Mangaluru, September 18 (Daily Kiran) : Karnataka’s Irrigation Minister Ajay Singh addressed the recent removal of a nine-foot statue of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Speaking on Friday in Mangaluru, Singh emphasized that the statue’s removal was necessary due to its installation without the required approvals. He firmly stated that there were no political motives behind this action.
Around three years prior, another statue of Siddaramaiah was also installed at the same location but was subsequently removed by officials. Ajay Singh, who hails from Kalaburagi district and is the son of former Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh, clarified to reporters that regulations govern the installation of statues. He asserted that the removal of Siddaramaiah’s statue was strictly in accordance with these rules.
Singh also dismissed rumors linking the statue’s removal to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s visit to Kalaburagi, reiterating that Shivakumar has consistently referred to Siddaramaiah as his leader. He noted that neither Siddaramaiah nor Shivakumar were aware of the statue’s installation. “There is no confusion regarding this matter. The statue was installed without permission and was removed according to the rules,” Singh stated.
The statue was erected overnight by supporters of Siddaramaiah at the High Court Circle in Kalaburagi. However, the Kalaburagi City Corporation, with heavy police presence, removed the statue on Thursday after discovering that the necessary permissions had not been obtained from the district administration or city corporation.
According to officials, the installation involved a group of about eight to ten members from the Kuruba community, who were reportedly advocating for the renaming of High Court Circle in Siddaramaiah’s honor. This same group had previously installed a statue at the same site, which was also removed by authorities.
The latest statue was placed along the route that Shivakumar would take during his visit to Kalaburagi and subsequent travel to the Ganagapura temple, sparking speculation about the timing of its removal. Nevertheless, officials maintained that the statue was taken down solely due to the lack of authorization, and police were deployed to ensure law and order during the removal process.
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