Government firm on shifting statue of Ambedkar

MANGALORE: The state government on Saturday remained firm on its decision to shift the statue of Ambedkar, in front of Vidhana Soudha, in order to expedite Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited’s (BMRCL) metro project in Bangalore.“The Ambedkar statue will be shifted temporarily to a safe place in order to facilitate BMRCL’s metro project,” Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda told reporters soon after his arrival at Maryhill helipad, to inaugurate developmental programmes in Mangalore.It will be re-installed at the same place after the completion of work, the Chief Minister clarified when reporters sought to know about the government’s stand, as Dalits were stiffly resisting the relocation of the statue.Justifying the decision to shift the statue as “necessary”, he said the decision to relocate the statue was taken after convening a meeting of the Social Welfare Department and the Cabinet. On rising communal conflicts in the district, he said the government will take action against the culprits.“There is no question of favouring any community,” he said. Asked about the Governor’s decision to clear the name of Justice Chandrashekharaiah for the post of Upa Lokayukta, the Chief Minister refused to discuss anything about the Governor in the public domain.