Overview
- Supporters quietly placed a nine-foot statue of former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah at High Court Circle and municipal workers removed it during the night, with the action reported on Thursday.
- City corporation and district officials said they cleared the statue because the group did not obtain required permission from the administration or the corporation.
- Police were stationed at the site during the removal to prevent disorder, and the placement happened on the route used by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar during his visit to the city, prompting political attention.
- Karnataka minister Ajay Singh publicly rejected a political motive and said neither Siddaramaiah nor Shivakumar knew about the installation, insisting the action followed standard rules for public statues.
- The same spot saw a similar unauthorized Siddaramaiah statue about three years ago, underlining a recurring local effort by supporters, including members of the Kuruba community, to press for naming or formal recognition of the circle.