Kalaburagi, September 17: A statue of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, standing approximately 9 feet tall, appeared near the busy High Court Circle in Kalaburagi city early Thursday morning. A group of seven or eight supporters had secretly installed the statue overnight without obtaining any official permission. It also came to light that a banner naming the area ‘Siddaramaiah Circle’ had previously been put up without authorization.
Corporation Covers the Face Before Public View:
Videos of the statue’s installation went viral on social media during the night itself. However, inquiries regarding who had authorized the move revealed that the statue had been installed unofficially, without any permission. Consequently, before the public could see the statue in the morning, municipal corporation staff covered its face.
Removal Operation by Corporation Staff:
Upon learning of the unauthorized installation, officials from the Kalaburagi City Corporation and the police rushed to the site. Amidst tight police security, corporation staff carried out an operation early in the morning to remove the statue of Siddaramaiah that had been installed at the High Court Circle. Sparking State-Level Debate:
Notably, the Chief Minister and other dignitaries are currently visiting Kalaburagi to mark the ‘Kalyana Karnataka Utsava’ celebrations. The fact that the operation to remove this unauthorized statue took place just as they were scheduled to travel to Afzalpur—passing through the very same traffic circle where the statue of Siddaramaiah had been installed—has sparked intense curiosity and debate in both public and political circles. The public has demanded strict action against the installation of such statues in public places without prior permission.