Torching of Rajkumar bust creates tension

BENGALURU: Tension gripped Bangarappa Nagar, off Rajarajeshwari Nagar, southwest Bengaluru, on Thursday morning after a newly installed bust of actor Rajkumar was torched.
The bust had been installed at a vacant BBMP plot next to the Bangarappanagar bus stop by a pro-Kannada organization on Wednesday evening, and was to be unveiled on November 23. It was mounted on a 6-foot-tall pedestal.
Around 6am on Thursday, a newspaper boy noticed that the bust, modelled on the eponymous role Rajkumar essayed in the 1972 film Sipayi Ramu, was charred and raised an alarm. As a crowd gathered, the area plunged into tension.
According to locals, people were present near the bust till 1am, so it could have happened only after that. Miscreants are suspected to have poured oil on the bust and set it on fire. There were no eyewitnesses, police said.
Senior police officers rushed to the spot to prevent the situation from turning volatile, as people had started gathering there. Four KSRP and two City Armed Reserve battalions were rushed to the spot. Dog squads and forensic experts were pressed into service.
Ministers Ramalinga Reddy and K J George, who visited the spot, assured the crowd that a new bust of the actor would be installed on November 23 as scheduled, after which people dispersed. "I too am a fan of Dr Rajkumar. The government will get a new bust of the thespian installed here," George said.
Police suspect miscreants wanted to foment tension in the area by burning the bust.
Police sources said the individuals who had installed the bust had got it ready three years ago. Their efforts to install it in Sumanahalli, Magadi Road and Laggere failed as they could not get clearances.