Karnataka cabinet Minister for Kannada & culture C.T. Ravi paid official tribute to Basaveshwara statue in London on 21stJanuary 2020 at 12:00 noon.
He said, it’s a matter of great pride for every Kannadiga to see the statue of pioneer of Indian democracy and a great Kannada icon opposite the British Parliament. He also thanked the Former Mayor of London borough of Lambeth Dr Neeraj Patil for his hard work and efforts in getting the statue erected.
The event was organized by The Lambeth Basaveshwara Foundation, a non-profit organization based in UK that has erected the statue of Basaveshwara on the bank of river Thames. Dr Patil thanked and welcomed the Hon Minister on behalf of the Lambeth Basaveshwara foundation and the British Indian community. On this special occasion rich tributes were also paid to the architect of Indian constitution Dr B.R Ambedkar.
The Basaveshwara statue project was approved by the planning department of The London borough of Lambeth in April 2012 and subsequently by the British Cabinet as per the British Public Statues Act, 1854 in July 2012.
The Basaveshwara statue erected at the Albert Embankment is not only the first statue to be unveiled by an Indian Prime Minister in the UK, but is also the first conceptual statue approved by the British Cabinet in the vicinity of the British Parliament.
The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi unveiled this historic statue on 14thNov 2015 in the presence of Speaker of the British Parliament Rt Hon John Bercow.
