BJP MLC Raghu Kautilya threatens protest if Karnataka Exhibition Authority ignores demand

Mysuru: Even as Karnataka Exhibition Authority (KEA) Chairman Ayub Khan has refuted allegations of corruption and of ‘insulting’ Kannada matinee idol Dr. Rajkumar’s fans, BJP MLC and former KEA Chairman R. Raghu Kautilya has reiterated his allegations that the bust of Dr. Rajkumar was deliberately shifted and that his fans had been insulted.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP Office this morning, Raghu Kautilya said the bust of Dr. Rajkumar had earlier been installed prominently at the Dasara Exhibition Grounds in a befitting manner, with the road also named after the thespian.

“Now, the bust has been removed from its original place and installed at a nondescript location under a tree. The new bust lacks the realism and charm of the actor and resembles a doll rather than the legendary actor,” he said.

He alleged that the bust had been shifted to an office space and that the Swami Vivekananda statue, originally provided by the Ramakrishna Ashrama, had also been removed.

“The replacement is an insult to the iconic actor and his followers. Religion and caste politics should not be brought into Dr. Rajkumar’s legacy,” he said. Raghu also alleged that the road named after Swami Vivekananda and the signboard marking it had been removed.

He demanded that both the original statues be restored to their earlier locations before Sept. 30. He warned that if the authorities failed to act within the deadline, Dr. Rajkumar’s fans, along with public and college students in Mysuru, would gather to lay siege to the site in protest.