Ramanagar: Reacting to Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat’s statements against the installation of a Jesus Christ statue on Kapala Betta (hill), donated by Congress leader D K Shivakumar, MLC Ivan D’Souza said that the former can go ahead and install a statue of Lord Krishna.
Addressing the media on Thursday, January 23, he said, “We have no objection if Prabhakar Bhat wants to install a Lord Krishna statue on Kapala Betta. If he wishes, we will support him. Everybody has a right to follow their religion and construct holy idols. The government had handed over the gomala (grazing land) to the Kapala Betta Development Trust legally. Around 10 acres of land was allotted on February 2, 2018, for socio-religious activities. It is not right to revoke the land allotment orders.”
Speaking about the implementation of the fact-finding committee’s report, Ivan said, “In order to know the facts behind the land allotment issue, the Christian community leaders had formed a fact-finding committee and submitted a report to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and state revenue minister R Ashok recently. Christians have been residing on the Kapala Betta from 1670. The hill is named ‘Kapala’ because Jesus Christ was crucified on a hill. A church was built there in 1661, but now around 160 Christian families live on the hill.”
Meanwhile, he stood by DKShi and said, “Some are trying to instill communal hatred in the minds of the people. DKShi has done nothing wrong; he is only trying to help the Christian community of his constituency.”
