BENGALURU: The BJP and RSS are planning a massive protest on Monday against the construction of a 114-ft tall statue of Jesus Christ at Kapalibetta in Kanakapura. Terming it the ‘Kanakapura Chalo’ protest, the BJP is expecting hundreds to converge at Kapalibetta.
The statue is the pet project of Congress strongman DK Shivakumar. Shivakumar cautioned his supporters, saying, “I urge everyone not to be instigated or provoked.’’
The local jurisdictional police have pressed into service over 1,000 policemen, including armed police units, to ensure peace. Harobele, where the statue is to come up, is a village dominated by Christians in Shivakumar’s constituency. The community has been living for about 400 years.
Shivakumar told TNIE that these villagers had approached him, requesting that they be allowed to erect the statue, and the previous government had sanctioned 10 acres to them for the project. Shivakumar had paid Rs 10,000 to the society that is seeking to erect the statue, which the BJP termed “minority appeasement”.
When the local administration and government raised objections, Christian leaders had petitioned CM BS Yediyurappa to remove impediments to the construction of the statue.
Shivakumar said the BJP’s move was politically motivated, and that when he had supported the construction of more than 100 temples, no one had objected.