Chennai: The Kannagi statue, which was removed by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Government in 2001, will be reinstalled on the Marina Beach front on June 3.
Tamil Nadu Governor S S Barnala announced this while delivering his customary address to the newly constituted 13th Assembly and said the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Government had initiated work for reinstalling the statue.
"The work has commenced for reinstalling the Kannagi statue on June 3 at the same site on the Beach Road from where it was removed," Barnala said.
Immediately after the DMK-led DPA was voted to power, DMK President M Karunanidhi had announced all efforts would be made to reinstall the statue at Marina.
The AIADMK Government had contended the steel frame, holding the 33-year-old statue, was weakened by exposure to the sun and the saline atmospheric conditions.
On December 6, 2001, a lorry dashed against the pedestal led to its removal. After a hue and cry was raised over its whereabouts, the AIADMK Government said the statue was safe and kept in the Government Museum in Chennai.
After Karunanidhi assumed office as Chief Minister, he inspected the statue at the Museum after which work commenced for its reinstallation.
Barnala also announced the DMK Government would urge the Centre to institute classical language awards in the name of Tholkappiar and Thiruvalluvar, besides declaring Tirukkural as a National Book and making Tamil as one of the official languages of the Union.
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