Bengaluru: It was an insult for all Kannadigas that H D Deve Gowda, the only Prime Minister of India from Karnataka, was not invited to the unveiling of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda’s statue in the state capital, the JD(S) has said on social media.

In a post on its Twitter account, the party has expressed anger, “The BJP had invited the former Prime Minister while laying the foundation stone for the installation of the statue. Now, when the statue is to be unveiled, however, the government has sidelined him – why, we wish to know.”

It said that the event was not of merely local importance. “When the Prime Minister of India is visiting the capital for the launch of a statue of ‘Nadaprabhu’, a former Prime Minister ought to have been invited officially. Showing him such disregard has been an act of insult towards all Kannadigas,” the JD(S) has said.

“Everyone opines that the BJP government and the BJP leaders have sidelined the former Prime Minister for merely political reasons. The unveiling has been carried out like a party event,” the party said, adding that Nadaprabhu Kempegowda has been insulted by the action of the BJP.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself has used the name of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda – who was an ideal leader since he treated all people equally – for political gains. The statue has been unveiled now, keeping in mind the upcoming elections in the state. This is extremely unfortunate,” the JD(S) opined in its tweet.

The party, however, also felt that the Karnataka government and local leaders of the BJP had misguided Prime Minister Modi. “Kannadigas have had the highest regard for Prime Minister Modi, but the BJP members in Karnataka have acted in a manner that would give him a black mark,” the JD(S) said.

The JD(S) stressed that Kempegowda was not anyone’s property, the state under a minister, or something that would be used for political benefits. “The Nadaprabhu is the pride of all Kannadigas, revered by all of us. Similarly, Bengaluru is everyone’s city; it is the lifeline of all Kannadigas,” the party reminded, stressing again, “The BJP government has forgotten this fact and insulted all Kannadigas.”

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Mangaluru: Two girl students drowned while bathing near the Kolyadakatta dam area of the Gundya river on Friday evening here in the Kadaba Taluk of the district.

The deceased have been identified as Arpita (15) and Sunita (21), both residents of Vimalagiri in Kutrupadi village.

According to reports, five girl students had visited the river along with their friends as it was a holiday. While bathing in the river, the two students reportedly entered a deeper portion of the water without realising the depth and began drowning.

Those accompanying them tried to rescue the duo, but were unsuccessful, leading to the tragedy.

After receiving information about the incident, Kadaba Police Station personnel visited the spot and conducted an inspection. The bodies were later recovered with the help of local residents.