Statue row: State to hold talks with Kannada outfits

With Kannada outfits opposing his government’s move to unveil a statue of Tamil saint-poet Thiruvalluvar in Bangalore, Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa will hold talks with them tomorrow to bring them on board.

“We had an all-party meeting on August three during which a majority agreed with the unveiling of the statue (on August 9). Only a few expressed reservations. I will meet them tomorrow and try to convince them,” Yeddyurappa told reporters here.

The Kannada outfits, which have stalled the statue’s unveiling for 18 years citing inter-state disputes, have called for a Karnataka bandh on Sunday. Outfits like Kannada Chaluvali and Karnataka Rakshana Vedike alleged that that the government was doing it to appease the Tamils in the state ahead of bypolls.

“I hope with everybody’s help we will be able to unveil the statue next Sunday,” the chief minister said when pointed out that some outfits have called for a bandh on the issue.

In a reciprocal gesture, Tamil Nadu government will unveil the statue of Kannada Poet Sarvajna in Chennai on August 13.

The statue-diplomacy between the two states comes in the midst of decades-long row over Cauvery water sharing and the Hogennakal project aimed at providing drinking water to Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts in Tamil Nadu using the Cauvery water to which Karnataka is opposed.