Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah addressed questions on Monday regarding the potential removal of a life-sized portrait of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, which was unveiled in the Assembly chamber at 'Suvarna Vidhana Soudha' during the previous BJP government's tenure. Speculations arose after the unveiling in December 2022 drew criticism from the opposition Congress, accusing it of being a unilateral decision made without their knowledge, as reported by PTI.
In response to reporters' inquiries about Savarkar's portrait, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated, "It is left to the Speaker (to decide)." Speaker U T Khader added on Sunday that discussions were underway regarding the proposal to install the portrait of the first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, inside the Assembly chamber.
The controversy traces back to the unveiling of portraits, including those of Swami Vivekananda, Subash Chandra Bose, B R Ambedkar, Basaveshwara, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Savarkar, by then Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai just before the commencement of the 10-day winter session of the state legislature last year.
During the previous unveiling, Congress, led by Siddaramaiah, who was then the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, and party's state President D K Shivakumar, staged a demonstration outside 'Suvarna Vidhana Soudha,' advocating for the inclusion of portraits of various national and state figures. Siddaramaiah emphasized the need for discussions and consultations before making decisions on installing portraits inside the House, stating that the demand was not against any specific portrait but for the representation of national leaders and social reformers.
