Lack of resemblance: D. Devaraj Urs statue in city to be replaced following public criticism

Mysore/Mysuru: Ten days after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah unveiled the statue of late former Chief Minister D. Devaraj Urs in the premises of new Deputy Commissioner’s Office on Bannur Road in Siddarthanagar here, the Mysuru District Administration, bowing to public demand has decided to replace the statue, following a slew of complaints from various quarters that the statue hardly resembles the looks of the late former CM.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Deputy Commissioner G. Lakshmikanth Reddy said that after the statue was unveiled by CM Siddaramaiah on Nov.3, the District Administration began receiving multiple objections to the appearance of the statue, which many say has little resemblance of the physical looks of Urs.

 Apart from the members of the public, many associations and organisations, including State BJP OBC Morcha President Raghu R. Kautilya and MLC A.H. Vishwanath had demanded replacement of the statue with a new one that truly resembles the late leader. This apart, some organisations had protested seeking replacement of the statue and demanded installation of a new one.

“Following  widespread complaints and public disappointment over the facial features of the statue, the Chief Minister and the District In-charge Minister have directed the Mysuru District Administration to initiate the process of replacement of the statue. An official order on the replacement of the statue will be issued shortly,” the DC noted.

It may be mentioned, NR MLA Tanveer Sait, MLC A.H. Vishwanath, the then Deputy Commissioner Dr. K.V. Rajendra and Suraj Hegde, grandson of Devaraj Urs, had jointly performed bhoomi puja (ground-breaking ceremony)  for the installation of the statue of Devaraj Urs, who hailed from Mysuru, in DC Office premises on Feb.19, 2024.

The 12 ft.tall statue, sculpted out of black granite and costing Rs.92 lakh, was unveiled by CM Siddaramaiah on Nov.3, 2025.

Now with the District Administration deciding to replace the statue, the public are of the opinion that Rs.92 lakh spent on the installation of the statue has gone down the drain.

Arguing that this money would have served other useful public purposes, they blamed the authorities for their negligence and apathy. The present statue in Mysuru that hardly resembles the looks of Devaraj Urs is indeed an insult to the late leader, they added.

Bengaluru statue

It may be recalled, the statue of Devaraj Urs installed in the precincts of Vidhana Soudha (West entrance) at Bengaluru, was also replaced following complaints that the statue had no similarity to the looks of Urs during 2003-2004.