In Kalaburagi, Siddaramaiah’s statue installed in the night, removed the next morning

A nine-foot golden-hued statue of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, installed without permission at a circle near the Kalaburagi Bench of the Karnataka High Court here, was removed early on Thursday, just before Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar unfurled the national flag in the city as part of Kalyana Karnataka Utsav.

Curiously, the statue was installed at the circle hurriedly on Wednesday night. Mr. Shivakumar also arrived in Kalaburagi on the same night.

Corporation Commissioner Avinash Shinde told The Hindu that the statue was installed without permission and that, on his direction, it was removed. The circle falls along the route to Ganagapur in Afzalpur taluk, which Mr. Shivakumar was scheduled to visit.

Around three years ago, Mr. Siddaramaiah’s supporters had attempted to name the circle after him.