BENGALURU: Tension prevailed at Khoday’s Junction near the City Railway police station on Saturday after the statue of Sangolli Rayanna, who was in the forefront of the movement against the British rule, was found disfigured by unidentified persons.
Pro-Kannada activists and followers of the warrior staged a protest here throwing traffic around Majestic, Anand Rao Circle, Okalipuram Junction and City Railway station out of gear for some time.
Police said the statue was vandalised late on Friday night and that the miscreants were trying to steal the bronze sword on the statue. As the sword could not be dislodged, they disfigured it and left.
The sword, weighing 25 kg, is fixed to the right hand of the Sangolli Rayanna statue, inaugurated in 2010. The government had spent `13 lakh and deployed a security guard for day duty. But there was no guard in the night.
Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj demanded that police arrest the miscreants soon and the BBMP provide proper security at such premises. “It is shameful that the miscreants tried to disfigure the statue and it is the negligence of police forces of the nearby Upparpet police station and City railway police station. It is an insult to Kannadigas,” he said.
Police suspect the miscreants were under the influence of alcohol and they are looking through CCTV footage from the traffic signals. A special team has been formed to trace the culprits.
Home Minister K J George, who visited the spot, said the government will take necessary action against the accused and the statue will be fixed by the artists who made it. He said if the artists suggest, the sword will also be replaced.