Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah unveils statue of D. Devaraj Urs in Mysuru

MYSURU

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah unveiled a statue of former CM D. Devaraj Urs, considered a champion of backward classes, on the premises of the office of the Deputy Commissioner on Bannur Road in Mysuru on November 3.

The unveiling of the statue had been long-pending, and the BJP had earlier criticised the Congress government for the delay. BJP leaders and supporters had even tried to lay siege to the office of the Deputy Commissioner on Karnataka Rajyotsava (November 1) demanding inauguration of the statue.

Unveiling the statue, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the event could have been organised on a larger scale with greater public participation, but the district administration decided to go ahead with the unveiling since he was visiting Mysuru on November 3.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister described Mr. Devaraj Urs as a champion of social justice, noting that his contribution to the State was immense.

Mr. Siddaramaiah announced that Mr Devaraj Urs’s house at his native village of Kallahalli in Hunsur taluk in Mysuru district would be developed as a memorial in honour of the late leader.

He said that unveiling of the statue fulfilled the long-cherished wish of the people of the region. “Many people in Mysuru, which was Mr. Urs’s home district, had wanted his statue to be installed here. That wish has been realised today,” he added.

Describing Mr. Urs as a role model for politicians across party lines, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the late leader was a great social reformer who worked tirelessly to eradicate inequality in society. “He ensured that the unrepresented communities in Karnataka were identified and given political representation, creating opportunities for those who had been marginalised,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that Mr. Urs provided opportunities for the socially, economically, and politically disadvantaged sections, helping many of them rise in public life.

“Mr. Devaraj Urs, who served as the chief minister of the state for eight years, worked to remove inequality and brought in several reforms,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said, adding that his own government has continued those efforts to eliminate inequality and realise the true spirit of the Constitution. “It is our duty to remember him and his contributions,” he said.

He recalled that it was during Mr. Devaraj Urs’s tenure that the State’s name was changed from Mysore to Karnataka.

Minister in-charge of Mysuru district H. C. Mahadevappa, MLA Tanveer Sait, MLCs A. H. Vishwanath, K. Shivakumar, Thimmaiah, Karnataka Guarantee Schemes Implementation Authority Vice-chairperson Pushpa Amarnath, Bharati Urs, daughter of Mr. Devaraj Urs, were among those who participated in the event.