108 ft statue of Kempegowda to be unveiled by PM Modi finds place in 'World Book of Records'
Bengaluru, Nov 9: The 108 feet statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil on Friday is the "first and tallest bronze statue of a founder of a city", as per 'World Book of Records'.
Called the "Statue of Prosperity", it has been built to commemorate the contribution of Kempegowda, the founder of the city, towards the growth of Bengaluru.
"A matter of pride for us that the Statue of Prosperity is the first and tallest bronze statue of a founder of a city as per World Book of Records. An apt tribute to Bengaluru's founder Kempegowda. Standing at 108 ft, it symbolises his vision of a Global City," Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai tweeted along with a certificate from 'World Book of Records' on Wednesday.
The statue weighing 220 tonne has been installed at the Kempegowda International Airport here. It has a sword weighing 4 tonne.
The project, besides the statue, has a heritage theme park in an area covering 23 acres dedicated to the 16th century chieftain, together costing about Rs 84 crore to the government.
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.
Renowned sculptor and Padma Bhushan awardee Ram Vanji Sutar has designed the statue. Sutar had built the 'Statue of Unity' in Gujarat and the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Bengaluru's Vidhana Soudha.
As a precursor to the unveiling, 'Mruthike' (sacred mud) was collected from over 22,000 locations across the state, which was mixed symbolically with the mud beneath one of the four towers of the statue today.
Twenty one special vehicles collected the sacred mud, including villages, towns and cities during the last two weeks.
ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ನಿರ್ಮಾತೃ ನಾಡಪ್ರಭು ಕೆಂಪೇಗೌಡರ "ಪ್ರಗತಿಯ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆ"ಯು ವರ್ಲ್ಡ್ ಬುಕ್ ಆಫ್ ರೆಕಾರ್ಡ್ಸ್ ಅನುಸಾರ ಮೊದಲ ಹಾಗೂ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಎತ್ತರದ ಕಂಚಿನ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆ ಎಂಬುದು ನಮಗೆ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆಯ ವಿಷಯ.108 ಅಡಿಯ ಈ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆ ಕೆಂಪೇಗೌಡರ ದೂರದೃಷ್ಟಿಯ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರನ್ನು ಬಿಂಬಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.#ಪ್ರಗತಿಯಪ್ರತಿಮೆ #ಬನ್ನಿನಾಡಕಟ್ಟೋಣ pic.twitter.com/sFERth0Xwv
— Basavaraj S Bommai (@BSBommai) November 9, 2022
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Farooq Abdullah backed Article 370 abrogation, claims Former RAW Chief A.S. Dulat
Srinagar: In a political bombshell, former RAW chief A.S. Dulat has alleged that National Conference (NC) president and former J&K Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah privately supported the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. The claim, made in Dulat's new book “The Chief Minister and The Spy – An Unlikely Friendship”, has sparked a political storm and could potentially impact the Abdullah family's long-standing legacy in Kashmir.
Dulat stated that he was informally asked by the Modi-led central government to reach out to Abdullah, who was under house arrest at the time. According to him, Abdullah’s release came with two unspoken conditions: refraining from criticizing the abrogation and avoiding any reference to Pakistan. “Farooq was wise enough to grasp the message,” Dulat alleged.
He further claimed that Abdullah had shown willingness to cooperate with the Centre and allegedly remarked that the NC could have passed the proposal in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly—had they been consulted.
The Abdullah family, which has dominated Kashmiri politics since Sheikh Abdullah’s era, has publicly opposed the 2019 constitutional move. The new allegations stand in stark contrast to the party’s stated stance and its later efforts to restore the special status through the Gupkar Alliance.
Sajad Gani Lone, president of the Peoples Conference, said he was not surprised, calling Dulat Abdullah’s “alter ego.” He alleged that the NC’s public opposition masked private cooperation with Delhi. “The 2019 meeting between Farooq and the PM was no mystery,” he wrote on X, suggesting the party’s electoral success in 2024 was a reward for earlier cooperation.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti accused Abdullah of helping to “normalise the gutting of J&K’s constitution,” alleging he chose to stay politically relevant in Kashmir rather than resist in Parliament.
National Conference spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq categorically denied the claims, dismissing the book as a “figment of imagination.” He highlighted contradictions in Dulat’s account, noting that Farooq formed the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) after his release to challenge the abrogation.
Sadiq also recalled that Dulat’s earlier book had made controversial claims about other leaders. “This is just another attempt to stay relevant,” he said.
While the National Conference has yet to release an official statement, Dulat’s claims have added a new layer of controversy to Kashmir’s political discourse, raising fresh questions about the behind-the-scenes developments surrounding the revocation of Article 370.
