<p>Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai claimed that it was only now that Bengaluru founder Kempegowda was getting his due, in what seemed like a significant Vokkaliga outreach on Friday.</p>.<p>Bommai was speaking at the launch of the Maitrike campaign of collecting soil from all over the state. The 'sacred' soil will be used for landscaping at the 108-foot Kempegowda statue that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to open on November 11. </p>.<p>"There's the State of Liberty in the US. There's Statue of Unity dedicated to Sardar Patel. During Kempegowda's time, there was prosperity. That's why we've decided to name his statue as the Statue of Prosperity. The statue should be an inspiration for us to work towards prosperity," Bommai said, adding that all foreigners who land at the Bengaluru airport should pay their respects to the 16th century chieftain. </p>.<p>Bommai said it was everybody's responsibility to respect the <span class="italic"><em>Nadaprabhu</em></span>. "I don't want to discuss why efforts were not made to install Kempegowda's statue all these years," he said.</p>.<p>Through this event the government tried to pacify the Vokkaliga organisations, leaders and seers heading the Vokkaliga mutts, who were unhappy with the textbook revision and staged a massive protest in Bengaluru demanding to withdraw the revised textbooks.</p>.<p>Vokkaliga seers Nirmalanandanatha Swami, Kumara Chandrashekharanatha Swami and Nanjavadhoota Swami were present for the launch of the mud collection campaign. </p>.<p>Revenue Minister R Ashoka, the BJP's Vokkaliga face, asked why Kempegowda was not honoured in the last 75 years. "There are people who talk lightly about Kempegowda, and such people should understand that today's Bengaluru is only because of his efforts," he said, expressing gratitude on behalf of the entire Vokkaliga community to former chief minister B S Yediyurappa and Bommai for the statue project. </p>.<p>Higher Education Minister C N Ashwath Narayan, who is anchoring the statue project, Health Minister K Sudhakar, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, MPs P C Mohan, Tejasvi Surya and others were present.</p>
<p>Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai claimed that it was only now that Bengaluru founder Kempegowda was getting his due, in what seemed like a significant Vokkaliga outreach on Friday.</p>.<p>Bommai was speaking at the launch of the Maitrike campaign of collecting soil from all over the state. The 'sacred' soil will be used for landscaping at the 108-foot Kempegowda statue that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to open on November 11. </p>.<p>"There's the State of Liberty in the US. There's Statue of Unity dedicated to Sardar Patel. During Kempegowda's time, there was prosperity. That's why we've decided to name his statue as the Statue of Prosperity. The statue should be an inspiration for us to work towards prosperity," Bommai said, adding that all foreigners who land at the Bengaluru airport should pay their respects to the 16th century chieftain. </p>.<p>Bommai said it was everybody's responsibility to respect the <span class="italic"><em>Nadaprabhu</em></span>. "I don't want to discuss why efforts were not made to install Kempegowda's statue all these years," he said.</p>.<p>Through this event the government tried to pacify the Vokkaliga organisations, leaders and seers heading the Vokkaliga mutts, who were unhappy with the textbook revision and staged a massive protest in Bengaluru demanding to withdraw the revised textbooks.</p>.<p>Vokkaliga seers Nirmalanandanatha Swami, Kumara Chandrashekharanatha Swami and Nanjavadhoota Swami were present for the launch of the mud collection campaign. </p>.<p>Revenue Minister R Ashoka, the BJP's Vokkaliga face, asked why Kempegowda was not honoured in the last 75 years. "There are people who talk lightly about Kempegowda, and such people should understand that today's Bengaluru is only because of his efforts," he said, expressing gratitude on behalf of the entire Vokkaliga community to former chief minister B S Yediyurappa and Bommai for the statue project. </p>.<p>Higher Education Minister C N Ashwath Narayan, who is anchoring the statue project, Health Minister K Sudhakar, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, MPs P C Mohan, Tejasvi Surya and others were present.</p>
