PM Modi likely to inaugurate 108-foot bronze statue of Kempegowda next month
Bengaluru,(PTI): With Prime Minister Narendra Modi likely to inaugurate the 108-foot bronze statue of Bengaluru's founder Nadaprabhu Kempegowda next month, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday directed officials to make necessary arrangements for the event.
The Prime Minister will also be inaugurating the Kempegowda theme park which has been developed near the international airport here.
According to official sources, the inauguration is likely on November 10 and the event is likely to attract lakhs of people.
Bommai today chaired a meeting of the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Heritage Area Development Authority and took stock of the inauguration plans.
The statue weighing 220 tonne is being installed at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here at an expense of about Rs 85 crore. There will also be a heritage park in about 23 acres dedicated to the 16th century chieftain.
Ahead of the grand unveiling of the statue authorities had launched a unique campaign of collecting the "sacred" mud and water from all the villages of the state.
Renowned sculptor and Padma Bhushan awardee Ram Vanji Sutar has designed the statue at his Nodia studio. Sutar had built the 'Statue of Unity' in Gujarat and the statue of 'Gandhiji' in Bengaluru's Vidhana Soudha.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
