Imphal (PTI): Ace boxer Mary Kom's husband Onler Karong has sparked a controversy after he expressed dissatisfaction over the looks of a statue of his wife, which was recently erected at a park near here.
Nineteen statues of the state's Olympians, including that of Mary Kom, were recently installed at Manipur Olympic Park.
Onler Karong, in an interview with a local newspaper, claimed that the statue, which was erected at the Park, does not look like his wife, six times World Women's Boxing Champion and 2012 London Olympic bronze medalist.
Neither Onler Karong nor Mary Kom could be contacted despite repeated efforts.
However, while talking to PTI, Kom’s brother Jimmy Kom claimed that the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) assured him that the statue will be replaced before the inauguration of the park, the date of which is yet to be fixed.
When contacted, officials of the CMO told PTI that they will not speak about the issue. "It is his (Onler) personal opinion," Jimmy said.
Jimmy said his sister returned home from a tour and got to know about the development only on Wednesday, he said.
"There is a concern that Onler's statement might be misinterpreted as the statues were installed to honour our state's athletes," Jimmy said.
Two days back, before the matter came to the fore, Chief Minister N Biren Singh had on his official Facebook page said that the Park "is all set for inauguration. Everyone can now witness the statues of our legendary Olympians, the pride of our Nation."
"The Manipur Olympian Park was constructed in honour of our Olympians from Manipur who have brought laurels for the Nation. Not only will this place become a major tourist attraction but also inspire the youths to achieve greater heights in life," Singh had said in a separate post.
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Punishment for those disrupting assembly proceedings, warns Speaker UT Khader
Belagavi: Speaker U.T. Khader on Friday warned that members who disrupt Assembly proceedings by talking in their seats during debates will be made to sit in the House for an entire day as a disciplinary measure.
The warning came after the Question Hour, when Deputy Leader of the Opposition Arvind Bellad was permitted to initiate a discussion on the development of North Karnataka.
At this point, expelled BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal objected, stating that he had been seeking a debate for the past three days but had not been given an opportunity.
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Responding to the objection, Speaker Khader said Bellad had already been granted permission and assured Yatnal that he would be allowed to speak at the next opportunity. He noted that even as a serious discussion was underway, several MLAs were speaking among themselves with their microphones on, disrupting the proceedings.
Expressing displeasure over the conduct of members, Khader likened the situation to football, where players receive red, yellow, or white cards for violations. Similarly, he said, the Assembly issues warning cards to members who disturb the House. If they fail to correct themselves despite repeated warnings, they would be required to remain seated in the Assembly hall for a full day as punishment, he stated.
