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The Rs 22-crore component of the Rs 84-crore project in Bengaluru has stalled, and blame is being traded between the BJP and Congress
The statue, also called Pragatiya Pratime or the Statue of Prosperity, was sculpted by Padma Bhushan awardee Ram V Sutar, known for the Statue of Unity. File pic/PTI
The 108-foot Statue of Prosperity dedicated to Nadaprabhu Kempegowda stands tall near the Kempegowda International Airport. But nearly three years after its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022, the theme park surrounding the statue remains incomplete. The Rs 22-crore component of the Rs 84-crore project has stalled, and blame is being traded.
The BJP government, which conceptualised and swiftly executed the statue’s construction within seven months, has accused the Congress-led state government of delaying the project. BJP leaders claim that although funds were allocated to develop the theme park, they remain unused due to political motives.
Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio and is a Vokkaliga leader himself, dismissed the allegation. “The BJP government erected the statue but didn’t pay contractors once the work was completed. I don’t want to dwell on that now. Our focus is on developing Bengaluru,” he said.
The statue, also called Pragatiya Pratime or the Statue of Prosperity, was sculpted by Padma Bhushan awardee Ram V Sutar, known for the Statue of Unity. It is made of 98 tonnes of bronze and 120 tonnes of steel. According to the World Book of Records, it is the tallest bronze statue of a city founder in the world.
The idea for the statue was first proposed by former chief minister BS Yediyurappa after the BJP came to power and was implemented within months.
As part of the tribute, mruthike (sacred soil) was collected from over 22,000 locations across Karnataka.
This was ceremonially mixed with the soil beneath one of the four symbolic towers that support the statue.
Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, a chieftain under the Vijayanagara Empire who founded Bengaluru in 1537, is widely revered, especially by the Vokkaligas, Karnataka’s second-largest and politically significant community. However, the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Foundation insists that the celebrations around him must emphasise inclusivity.
“Kempegowda may have been a Vokkaliga, but he built Bengaluru for everyone, including Telugu- and Tamil-speaking communities. He belongs to the whole city and represents development for all, not just one community. That’s the perception we’re trying to change,” said Ashok KM Gowda of the foundation.
“They don’t want to complete what was started by the BJP. The Congress fears that if they do, the people will know it was the BJP that deserves the credit.”
While the Congress government faces criticism for delays in completing the park, it has lined up elaborate celebrations to mark Kempegowda Jayanthi on June 27. The BBMP will organise a floral tribute at the statue near Kempegowda International Airport, followed by events at the BBMP office and the Vidhana Soudha.
A symbolic lamp procession will be held from four historic city points—Lalbagh, Mehkri Circle, Kempambudhi Lake, and Ulsoor—converging at Sumanahalli Circle, where a new five-acre headquarters of the Kempegowda Heritage Authority will be constructed. Similar events are planned at historical sites in Magadi, Devanahalli, and Kunigal—all linked to Kempegowda’s legacy.
The Congress government said that the new Kempegowda Bhavan in Sumanahalli will reflect Bengaluru’s rich cultural heritage. Meanwhile, questions linger over the stalled theme park—a key component of the original vision—that still lies in limbo.
Former deputy CM and BJP leader Ashwath Narayan told News18 that while it is fine to celebrate Kempegowda, setting up the Kempegowda Development Authority, he also asked the Congress to complete the work that was pending around the Kempegowda statue.
“We welcome the work that is being done to commemorate Kempegowda, but at least have the courtesy to complete the work that was pending at the Kempegowda airport area. There is money earmarked; there are funds. Why not release it and finish it? They fear that the credit will go to the BJP, but Kempegowda was a ruler who embraced all,” Narayan told News18.
The statue’s inauguration, held just ahead of the 2023 assembly elections, was also seen as a political move aimed at boosting BJP support in the Vokkaliga heartland of southern Karnataka, particularly after the party’s 2019 KR Pete bypoll win in Mandya. But the election results didn’t go as expected. And now, with the theme park unfinished, the spotlight is back on the incomplete legacy project, with politics once again at its centre.
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t…Read More
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t… Read More
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