Rajahmundry: Telugu Desam activists and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s fans have kicked up a row by placing an order for 25-30 busts of him with Kothapeta-based popular sculptor Rajkumar Vudayar. These busts will be installed at Tullur village where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be laying the foundation stone for Amaravati on October 22.
The busts are supposed to be in gratitude for the pains the CM is taking to build the capital here. However, Mr Naidu has been criticised by many who say that people’s statues or busts are not installed while they are still alive.
However, late President Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy had apparently got a statue of his installed while he was alive. Similar is the case with BSP leaders, including late Kanshi Ram and former Chief Minister Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh.
The CM’s busts, measuring 2.5 ft by 2.5 ft, will be of fibre with a bronze coating. The mould will take four to five days to make and thereafter any number of busts can be made easily. Each statue will cost between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000.
Meanwhile, following the outcry, Mr Naidu has apparently expressed his displeasure and is unwilling to either attend the installations or to inaugurate his statues. Sculptor Rajkumar Vudayar too distanced himself from the controversy and said that the statues were in fact being made at Natta Rameswaram of Penumantra village in West Godavari.
He said, “I have made nearly 2,000 statues in my sculpting career of 35 years. All statues were of great leaders who did something for the society, and they were installed after their death. Normally, I would have been the one to make CM Naidu's statue but in this case, I was advised not to make it. I wish people would realise the importance of installation of statues of great persons after their death as a mark of respect to their contribution to the society.”
