Statue unveiling: Slugfest in political circles of Karnataka over invitation to former PM
Bengaluru(PTI): A slugfest over inviting leaders of the Opposition parties for the unveiling of a statue of Bengaluru's founder Nadaprabhu Kempegowda has erupted in Karnataka.
The differences were over the protocol allegedly not being followed by the BJP-ruled State government in extending the invitation, particularly to former Prime Minister and JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda.
With JD(S) terming it as an insult to Gowda and people of the State, and accusing the government of turning the unveiling into a party event, the BJP hit back by releasing the letters written by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to various dignitaries inviting them and they included Deve Gowda.
It accused the JD(S) of indulging in a false propaganda, fearing polarisation of Vokkaliga votes.
On Friday, Modi unveiled the 108-foot high statue near the Kempegowda International Airport here. The statue was the first and the highest bronze statue of a founder of a city, according to the 'World Book of Records'.
Kempegowda, a feudatory ruler under the erstwhile Vijayanagara Empire, founded Bengaluru in 1537. He is revered, especially by the Vokkaliga community that is dominant in Old Mysuru and other parts of southern Karnataka.
Deve Gowda is a tall Vokkaliga leader, and the community forms the core of JD(S)'s voter base.
The developments following the installation of the statue, ahead of the Assembly polls next year, show that a competition of sorts seems to have erupted between the political parties to claim credit for the legacy of Kempegowda. The aim was to garner electoral support from the politically dominant Vokkaliga community.
Speaking on the controversy, JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy claimed his father H D Deve Gowda got a call on Thursday from the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai inviting Gowda for the event on Friday. Besides, a letter was handed over by someone to the police stationed at the compound of former Prime Minister's residence.
"The letter released by the BJP starts with the word -respected...it has Deve Gowda's name somewhere at the end of the letter; the name seems to have been added later," he alleged as he hit out at the saffron party questioning whether its leaders have any civility.
However, Minister C N Ashwath Narayan, who was overseeing the statue project and unveiling programme as he is also the vice-chairman of the Kempegowda Heritage Area Development Authority, on behalf of the government, said Bommai himself had invited and written a letter to Deve Gowda, and his name also appears on the inaugural plaque.
"He (Gowda) was invited, but did not come, our government and people have respect for Gowda and there is no question of disrespecting him," he said, adding that all the former Chief Ministers, including Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy, were invited by Bommai.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, too, said the Chief Minister told him clearly that he had personally invited the former Prime Minister and would inquire into why he did not come.
"Saying he (Gowda) was not invited is not right..." he said, adding that Kumaraswamy and other JD(S) leaders were unable to digest what BJP has done, by installing Kempegowda statue.
Noting that not inviting a farmer-leader who was the first person from Karnataka to become the Prime Minister was an insult to the State, JD(S) State president C M Ibrahim said leaders of other parties, including former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah, should have been invited.
Siddaramaiah said he received a call from Bommai on Thursday inviting the former for the event.
He said, "I told the Chief Minister that the invitation doesn't have my name, also I have a meeting, so I can't come."
The Leader of Opposition, while stating that he and his party welcomed the installation of the statue, however, claimed that it was the earlier Congress government which had initially planned the statue and named the airport after Kempegowda.
State Congress president D K Shivakumar alleged that the BJP government is doing everything as per the party agenda of votebank politics, and is promoting the party using government money.
"The ruling BJP's conduct- whether they gave respect to Deve Gowda or not, made former Chief Minister S M Krishna sit behind (during the event), I leave it for them," he said, as he once again questioned as to why government funds were used for the statue.
He said Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL), which runs the Kempegowda International Airport, should have taken up the work on the statue and completed the task related to it.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Air India resorts to cost-cutting ways amid 'tough times'; layoffs not anticipated
New Delhi/Mumbai (PTI): Hit hard by Pakistan airspace closure and Iran war, Air India has resorted to cost-cutting measures, including holding back annual increments for staff and asking them to cut discretionary spending as well as non-critical expenditures, warning of "tough times".
On Friday, Air India Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director (CEO & MD) Campbell Wilson told the staff it is going to be a "very, very difficult year" if things don't improve on the Middle East front.
A day after the loss-making airline's board discussed various cost-saving steps, Wilson, along with Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Sanjay Sharma and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Ravindra Kumar GP, addressed the employees during a townhall on Friday where the emphasis on the need to keep a close watch on costs.
With higher jet fuel prices due to the West Asia conflict and airspace curbs, the loss-making airline's expenses have spiralled in recent times and against this backdrop, Sharma also told staffers that FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Calling for a relentless focus on costs in these tough times, Wilson urged employees to suspend discretionary spending, renegotiate rates where feasible, and defer non-critical expenditures.
"There must be a laser-sharp focus on eliminating wastage and leakages," he said.
Stressing the need to tighten the belt for a while, Wilson sounded optimistic that travel demand would rebound and the industry would continue on its upward path.
CHRO Ravindra Kumar told staff that the airline will proceed with variable pay for the last financial year and continue with planned promotions while noting that annual increments will be deferred by at least one quarter.
"We don't anticipate layoffs," he said.
At the airline's board meeting on Thursday, various cost-saving steps, including likely furloughs, were discussed. The Tata Group-owned airline has around 24,000 employees.
Generally, furlough refers to sending staff on unpaid leaves by companies during a tough financial situation.
During the townhall, CFO Sanjay Sharma said while strong revenue growth and fleet expansion drove financial momentum through FY25, FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Air India has seen around 40 per cent CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) in revenue between 2022 and 2025, he added.
The airline was acquired by the Tata Group from the government in January 2022.
The Air India CEO mentioned the external challenges being facing the aviation industry as a whole, including the continued closure of Pakistan airspace that is expected to persist for the foreseeable future and geopolitical conflicts leading to disruptions and airspace closures across West Asia.
Wilson, who is set to step down later this year, also flagged a sharp depreciation of the rupee and a 2.5-3 times increase in jet fuel prices, and added that these factors have adversely affected travel sentiment and consumer confidence, as per the sources.
If the Strait of Hormuz opens, oil prices fall and consumer as well as business confidence come back, there is a decent chance of a solid recovery, Wilson said, adding that unless those circumstances happen, it was going to be "a very, very difficult year".
"I feel somewhat responsible that we ended up with probably the biggest surprise of the year in the external environment which was a full-scale war in our neighbouring region in the Gulf. That has had a huge impact on airspace," he said.
For Air India, Wilson said the situation is compounded by the fact that the airline cannot fly over the neighbouring country and has to take a much longer routing for any west-bound destination.
"Every airline is reporting that they are under some sort of financial pressure as a result of higher fuel prices and economic uncertainty. So, it is unfortunately not a great environment to be running an airline," the Air India CEO said.
The Air India Group -- Air India and Air India Express -- is projected to have incurred more than Rs 22,000 crore loss in the financial year ended March 2026.
At the townhall, Wilson also highlighted various initiatives, including completion of the retrofit of its legacy narrow-body aircraft and rapid network optimisation to redeploy capacity more efficiently.
