Activists have held a protest against the civic authorities for covering a tall statue of Lord Shiva with a tarpaulin erected in the middle of an artificial lake in Bengaluru. The statue was erected last week despite a high court order saying it is a violation of environmental laws and should not be given space in a lake in Begur in south Bengaluru. However, some activists went ahead and unveiled the statue.
Citizens then petitioned the high court about the violation again, after which the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has covered it with a tarpaulin temporarily, before taking further action.
The high court is taking up the petition for hearing again on August 18, before which BBMP officials will have to remove the statue, but the area is already seeing some tension. Hindu activists held a dharna at the site on Wednesday questioning the move to cover the statue.
“Over and over again, people from other religions are placing obstacles to the statue. So, we have come here. The police are ready to arrest us but that is okay.
Are we in Karnataka or Pakistan or Britain? If our religion doesn’t have value in our land, where do we erect this Shiva statue? Whatever happens, until the MLA comes, we will hold dharna. We are surrounded by water; we will be here,” one of the protestors said.
They appealed to all Hindus to come forward. “Six of us may die today, tomorrow 600 will still come forward. I will not give up my faith till my last breath.”
Last week, we had uncovered the tarpaulin to open this statue but these people think we live in Pakistan, so we can’t see Shiva’s statue. That’s why they have tied up the tarpaulin again,” exclaimed the protestor.
“The court had not said anything about the tarpaulin coverage. They had stopped the work for development work, worried about storage of water in the lake but what is their problem if the statue is open for the people to see?” they asked.
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