statue

BR Ambedkar

architect of the Indian Constitution

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike

People built the podium which is at least six-foot tall... they installed a nearly three-foot tall idol overnight. They decorated it with flowers and inaugurated it – HP Nagaraju, in BBMP’s complaint to the police

Iblur junction has a fatal attraction The elderly person was killed after being hit by a BMTC bus while crossing Iblur Junction. He was declared brain dead by Columbia Asia hospital where he was rushed to and he succumbed to injuries on Tuesday.

Somebody broke an iron grille fence and installed the idol in City Market. Photo by Eshwar S/MMCL

No light at end of tunnel in Bescom vs BBMP fight Parts of Indiranagar and surrounding areas get power through a feeder line from the NGEF power station while Halasuru and surrounding areas get power through a feeder line from the HAL power station.

Buying booze in Bengaluru is child’s play When Laya Sajan was 17 (she is now 18), she would see her friends and peers (then underage) buy alcohol from liquor shops in a bid to “pre-game” before parties, drink themselves silly at parties, and then take autos home as late at 2am.

has appeared overnight. And it’s no ordinary statue. The almost three-feet tall bust of, critic of the caste system and, resting on a six-feet tall podium has been placed by… nobody knows who. It was insta­lled perhaps under the cover of dar­kness, on the night of December 5 and the early hours of December 6.BBMP officials who were on their rounds in the KR Market area on December 5 - 6, discovered the statue installed beside the Indira Canteen, inside the compound of the BMTC bus stand.The installation of the statue overnight, has surprised everyone since the statue is now just 50 m away from the police station. And this notwithstanding the state government’s order that the installation of idols of prominent personalities in public places should be done with prior permission.The(BBMP) officials have filed a complaint with the police to take action against whoever is responsible for the act. The case has become a challenge for the City Market police as hundreds of people who do business in the market say that they have not seen anyone installing the idol. The issue of the statue has now become a veritable bone of contention, with officials looking to legal procedures to remove the illegally installed statue and maintain law and order while doing so.Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), BBMP, HP Nagaraju of Kempegowda Nagar sub-division has filed a complaint with the City Market police. In his complaint Nagaraju has stated that in ward number 119, close to the KR Market, in an empty space, unidentified people have broken the iron grille fence and have installed the idol of Dr BR Ambedkar.Nagaraju told the police that unidentified people had trespassed over BBMP property, built the podium, and installed the statue to create communal violence. In doing so they had violated the state government order issued on June 11, 2012, which states “installation of statues of public figures, religious structures by encroaching public place, pavements and roads is banned.”A BBMP officer said that it was a total failure on the part of the police department and the BBMP to some extent. “ The KR Market area is always crowded at any time of the day or night. Especially during the night, there are vendors unloading goods and arranging them for the next morning’s sale. It is highly impossible for someone to install the statue so secretly,” the BBMP official said.The BBMP official said, “People have brought bricks, sand and cement and built the podium which is at least six-feet tall and two-and-half feet wide. On this, they have installed a nearly three-feet tall idol overnight. They have even decorated it with flowers and inaugurated it.”Talking to BM, Nagaraju said, “We don’t know who has built the podium and installed the statue. But, it is illegal according to the government order. It is only 50 metres away from the police station. We will coordinate with the higher officials and take measures to remove the statue with police security.”An officer from City Market police station said, “We are yet to trace the people who have installed the statue. When we inquired with the people in the area, they claim none of them saw anyone installing it. One CCTV camera faces the BMTC bus stand and the other CCTV camera was not functioning on that day. So we are still looking for clues.In the market area, construction work is carried out largely during the night because people can get away with dumping of construction material under the cover of darkness. Perhaps the people who installed the statue were ignored by the others, assuming they were also doing some construction work. If BBMP wants to remove it, we will give them security and maintain law and order. Once we catch the mischief makers, we will know the reason behind installing the statue.”Further investigations are on.