'Fund for 108-ft-tall Kempegowda statue at Bengaluru International Airport allocated in previous budget'

Bengaluru, June 09: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan who is also the the vice-president of the Kempegowda Development Authority, on Tuesday quashed the allegations of oppositions on new fund allocations for the construction of 108-ft-tall statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, which will begin on June 27. He also claimed that it's and old proposal and allocation was done in the previous budget.

Speaking to reporters, Narayan said,''It's not new fund. Fund earlier allocated for it is being utilised now. It's an old proporsal, allocation was done in previous budget.''

Earlier, Dr CN Ashwath Narayan had informed that a model of the statue is ready and will be finalised after the appro approval of Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.

Kempegowda, referred as "Nadaprabhu", was a feudatory ruler under the erstwhile Vijayanagara Empire who founded Bengaluru in 1537.

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He is revered by the Vokkaliga community that is dominant in Old Mysuru and other parts of southern Karnataka.

The move is being seen as an attempt by the BJP to reach out to the dominant Vokkaliga community, seen as vote of JD (S), and to Congress to some extent.