Daijiworld Media Network – Karkala (EP)
Karkala, Oct 16: The Udupi district unit of the Congress party staged protests near Parashurama Theme Park against Karkala MLA Sunil Kumar who installed a fibre statue of Parashurama instead of the bronze statue at Karkala.
Hundreds of Congress workers took part in the protest rally that started from Pulkeri Bypass, Karkala.
Addressing the protesters, KPCC spokesperson Sudhir Kumar Murloli said that truth cannot be hidden. “They have insulted the statue of Parashurama following the party's defeat in the elections. They will lose the next elections also. This is not only the matter of corruption but the question of our feelings. They have posed the statue of plaster of Paris as that is made of bronze, used Bhajana Mandalis, held a procession and spent more than Rs 60 lacs of the government money. Sunil Kumar has betrayed the people for his prestige. They had broken the statue of Swami Vivekananda at the Basavanahalli, Chikkamagaluru. BJP belongs to the culture of destroying statues,” he said.
Former MLA Vinay Kumar Sorake said that Sunil Kumar has played with the beliefs and sentiments of people. “The matter should be investigated,” he said.
Dakshina Kannada Congress leader Mithun Rai said that protests that the statue is not made of bronze are in progress for the last one month. “We are trying to rename Mangaluru airport after either Parashurama or Koti Chennaya. The Nirmithi Kendra engineer who did the work should be suspended. BJP should expel Sunil Kumar from the party if they have any pride left,” he said.
Congress leader Muniyalu Uday Shetty said that the incident in Karkala is a black spot on the entire south India. “The Gomateshwara statue that was constructed in the 14th century is intact. But we lost our respect for the statue of Parashurama. Tourism should grow here. It is said that this is done for politics,” he said.
Udupi district Congress president Ashok Kumar Kodavoor, leaders Prasad Raj Kanchan, Dinesh Hegde Molahalli, Muniyalu Udaya Kumar Shetty, Chikkamagaluru district Congress president Anshuman, Karkala Congress leaders D R Raju, youth Congress president Deepak Kotian Inna, district Congress president Kishan Hegde Kolkebail and others were present.