Parashurama statue row: Sculptor files complaint against Congress leader
The sculptor of the Parashurama statue at Karkala in Udupi district filed a complaint with the Kengeri police here on Monday against Congress leader Uday Kumar Muniyal for “threatening” him to issue statements against BJP MLA for Karkala Sunil Kumar.
The sculptor, Krishna Naik, filed a complaint after the police recovered the torso of the statue from his workshop at Kengeri for investigation. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is conducting a probe against allegations of corruption in the Parashurama Theme Park Project at Karkala.
Mr. Muniyal had unsuccessfully contested the last Assembly election against Mr. Sunil Kumar.
The 33-ft statue was installed atop a rock amid a park. In October 2023, the park was closed to the public after Nirmithi Kendra directed the contractor to reinforce the statue citing technical flaws. This snowballed into a controversy as Congress levelled corruption charges. The contractor/sculptor removed the torso and transported it to his workshop at Kengeri.
In the complaint filed by Mr. Naik, it is alleged that Mr. Muniyal and his men barged into his workshop along with the police. When the police were doing a spot mahazar, Mr. Muniyal asked him to issue a statement against the MLA, he claimed.
Mr. Naik told The Hindu, “He first calmly asked me to speak against the MLA and the BJP, saying they are involved in corruption. As I am not involved in all this in any way, I refused. Then, he started to abuse and threaten me.”
However, Mr. Muniyal denied this but admitted that he was present at the workshop at the insistence of the police. “I reached the spot on their request. But I did not threaten anyone,” he said. The Kengeri police said they had received the complaint and were analysing it.
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