Ex-PM Deve Gowda not invited to Kempegowda statue inauguration: JDS

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], November 13 (ANI): Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Sunday slammed Basavaraj Bommai government alleging that former Prime Minister HD Devegowda was not invited to the Kempegowda statue inauguration event in Bengaluru.
"BJP is doing politics. Without printing his name on the invitation, how will they call him? They already circulated the cards. Chief Minister called at 9.30 pm on November 10. At 12:45 am, he sent a letter through someone who handed it over to guards," Kumaraswamy said.
"How will they defend this? If he wanted to invite, he should have sent some minister or Chief Secretary and printed his name on the official invitation. Without his name in the official program, how will they call him and accommodate him? Now, they are defending that they had invited him," JD(S) leader alleged.
After JD(S) allegation that former PM and party's national president HD Devegowda was not invited to the November 11 Kempegowda statue inauguration event, BJP has claimed that they did invite the former Prime Minister.
"Not only was the first invitation letter sent to former PM Devegowda, the only Kannadigar who was the Prime Minister, Chief Minister BS Bommai himself called and invited. JDS has shown its timely wisdom by lying in this matter," said Karnataka BJP in a Twitter post.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday unveiled the "Statue of Prosperity", the 108-feet bronze statue of Bengaluru founder Nadaprabhu Kempegowda.
The statue has been built to commemorate the contribution of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, the founder of the city, towards the growth of Bengaluru.
"Conceptualized and sculpted by Ram V Sutar of Statue of Unity fame, 98 tonnes of bronze and 120 tonnes of steel have gone into making this statue," said Prime Minister's Office (PMO). (ANI)