Karnataka Congress warns of protest if U S Mallya's Mangaluru statue is shifted without identifying new location

Mangaluru: Congress leaders in Karnataka warned of staging a protest if the statue of former MP U Srinivas Mallya is removed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) without identifying a suitable location to shift the same.

The statue may have to be shifted to facilitate the service road at Nanthoor as a part of the work on vehicular overpass taken up by the NHAI.

Dakshina Kannada (DK) District Congress Committee (DCC) president K Harish Kumar and former MLA J R Lobo during a joint press conference held at Congress Bhavan said that NHAI officials should furnish details of their plan while shifting the statue of Mallya.

Harish Kumar said that Mallya was instrumental in getting development projects to the district. Mangaluru Airport, New Mangalore Port, erstwhile Karnataka Regional Engineering College (now NITK), Mangaluru Akashvani, development of several bridges and roads were possible due to the vision of Mallya, he stressed.

The statue of Mallya was installed to commemorate his contributions to the region. NHAI should respect the statue of Mallya by identifying a location to shift it. J R Lobo said Mallya, who was elected as Member of Parliament from the first election held in 1952, is the founder of modern Dakshina Kannada. “We are not against the development of National Highway. The Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC), district administration and NHAI should identify a suitable location and shift Mallya’s statue with due respect," Lobo stressed.