Mysore/Mysuru: Ending the long delay in unveiling the statue of former Chief Minister late D. Devaraj Urs, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah this morning inaugurated the statue installed in the premises of the new Deputy Commissioner’s Office on Bannur Road, Siddarthanagar. Devaraj Urs’ daughter Bharathi Urs was present.

The prolonged delay in the inauguration had triggered public protests, with several leaders accusing the Congress Government of ignoring the legacy of Devaraj Urs, one of Karnataka’s tallest leaders who hailed from the Mysuru region. Bowing to public pressure, the statue was finally unveiled today.

Earlier, MLA Tanveer Sait, MLC A.H. Vishwanath, then Deputy Commissioner Dr. K.V. Rajendra, and Suraj Hegde, grandson of Devaraj Urs, had jointly performed the Bhoomi Puja (ground-breaking ceremony) on Feb. 19, 2024, for the installation of the statue, estimated to cost Rs. 92 lakh.

The 12-ft. tall statue, sculpted from black granite, is the work of Suryaprakash Yogiraj, elder brother of renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj, who gained global fame for sculpting the Balak Ram idol consecrated at Ayodhya.

The statue was initially proposed to be installed at the junction of D. Devaraj Urs Road and JLB Road, but the plan was dropped due to technical reasons.

Speaking on the occasion, Siddaramaiah said that Devaraj Urs, who served as Chief Minister for eight years during the 1970s, made immense contributions to the development of Karnataka.

“Urs always stood for social justice and equality and practised these ideals till the end. He empowered many micro-communities that had little or no political representation. It was because of Urs that several leaders from marginalised and backward communities entered the corridors of power at Vidhana Soudha for the first time,” he said.

Calling Devaraj Urs a role model for present-day politicians, Siddaramaiah said that socio-educational and economic empowerment were essential for the progress of backward communities. “Urs ushered in social change and worked to eradicate inequality. He opened the door for marginalised communities to find their place in governance,” he added.

The CM also announced that work on the installation of a statue of Valmiki in the DC Office premises was underway.

The event was attended by District Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa, MLAs K. Harishgowda, Tanveer Sait, D. Ravishankar, and Puttarangashetty, MLCs A.H. Vishwanath, C.N. Manjegowda, Dr. D. Thimmaiah and K. Shivakumar, KEA Chairman Ayub Khan, Guarantee Schemes Implementation Monitoring Authority Vice-Chairperson Dr. Pushpa Amarnath, Deputy Commissioner G. Lakshmikanth Reddy and other political leaders and officials.