Construction work begins at brisk pace; protest planned   

Mysore/Mysuru: Days after the installation of the statue of the late Suttur Seer Dr. Sri Shivarathri Rajendra Swamiji at the Gun House Circle near Mysore Palace, a subject of dispute among various organisations, brisk construction work has commenced around the pedestal of the statue.

While the outer perimeter of the site has been enclosed with railings and covered in green cloth, internal activities involving concrete work and excavation are progressing rapidly.

Despite the swift pace of the construction, the controversy surrounding the statue persists, with members of the Urs community, under the banner of Urs Mandali, asserting that the installation of the statue violates Court orders. Moreover, they claim that the ongoing development works are in violation of guidelines from both the Supreme Court and the High Court.

There has been a divided stance among factions regarding the installation of Sri Rajendra Swamiji’s statue at Gun House Circle, situated near the South Gate of the Mysore Palace. Simultaneously, another group has been advocating installing Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar’s statue in the same location. The Gun House Circle is positioned in front of the JSS Mahavidyapeetha building.

Urs Mandali objects

In the aftermath of the controversy, the statue remains veiled and has not been unveiled. Expressing opposition to the ongoing construction, H.M.T. Lingaraje Urs, the President of Urs Mandali, told Star of Mysore this morning that the developments were regrettable, and they are prepared to address the matter through legal means.

He said, “Let them produce the Court order permitting construction, and we will not object. In fact, the District-level Committee, authorised by the Karnataka High Court to make decisions regarding the statue installation, should have conveyed its decision to the High Court, allowing the Court to adjudicate the matter. However, the decisions or discussions from the District-level Committee meeting have been misconstrued as the final Court order, leading to the commencement of construction. This is illegal.”

Protest plan on Jan. 2, 2024

Representatives from Urs Mandali met with City Police Commissioner Ramesh Banoth yesterday, seeking permission to initiate an indefinite protest by the Urs community at Gun House Circle. “The Commissioner informed us that an indefinite protest is out of the question as it may lead to law and order issues. Furthermore, Deputy Commissioner Dr. K.V. Rajendra is currently out of the station (in New Delhi for election training), and permitting an indefinite stir is not feasible,” explained Lingaraje Urs.

He added that a one-day protest is scheduled for Jan. 2, 2024. In a related development, Subramanya of the Urs Mandali has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court before the Bench headed by Chief Justice Prasanna B. Varale, with a hearing set for January 2, 2024. Lingaraje Urs noted, “We are prepared to approach the Supreme Court if necessary.”

‘No comments’

When Star of Mysore contacted Dr. C.G. Betsurmath, Executive Secretary of JSS Mahavidyapeetha, to seek his reaction on the construction activities around the statue pedestal, he declined to comment, stating, “no comments.” When queried about the entity responsible for the construction works, he responded, “I have no information about who is undertaking the construction works, and I am unaware of this.”