Statue of controversy: Outfits call for bandh

Statue of controversy: Outfits call for bandh

August 4th, 2009
By Our Correspondent

Bengaluru, Aug. 3: The government and pro-Kannada organisations agreed to disagree on unveiling of the statue of Tiruvalluvar in the city on August 9, setting the stage for a phase of confrontation and controversy.
On Monday, the state government managed to garner the support of Opposition parties for the event, but leaders of pro-Kannada outfits voiced their dissent. Vatal Nagaraj (Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha), T.A. Narayana Gowda and Praveen Shetty (two factions of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike) trooped out of a meeting convened by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, as a mark of protest. They called for a Bengaluru bandh on August 9.