Chief Minister DK Shivakumar participates in the Gandhi Jayanti celebrations at Vidhana Soudha, in Bengaluru on FRiday.
Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has announced an allocation of ₹100 crore to build a Gandhi Smaraka (memorial) in Belagavi, where Mahatma Gandhi presided over the Congress session in 1924. This was the only annual session of the Congress that was presided over by the Father of the Nation.
Mr. Shivakumar said that his government will set aside the money in the next State Budget. He was speaking after inaugurating Gandhi Digital Museum in Gandhi Bhavan in Bengaluru on Friday.
Mr. Shivakumar also announced that Gandhi Memorial Pillars will be erected at all the places visited by Gandhiji across Karnataka during the freedom struggle. These pillars will be in place before Gandhi Jayanti in 2027.
Mr. Shivakumar unveiled the first pillar at Goverment Arts and Science (GAS) College in Bengaluru. Renowned sculptor from Mysuru Arun Yogiraj has sculpted this pillar. On May 8, 1915, Gandhiji, accompanied by his wife Kasturba, had visited the then Government High School, now GAS College, and unveiled a portrait of Gopala Krishna Gokhale.
The State government had allocated ₹5.09 crore in the State budget for 2026-27 to put up these memorial pillars in 87 different places as part of “Gandhi Bharata” campaign to commemorate Gandhiji’s 1924 visit.
The Chief Minister said that his party has always worked to preserve the name of Gandhiji. “Former Minister H.K. Patil has named Mahatma Gandhi Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University in Gadag. Our government has also renamed gram panchayat buildings as Mahatma Gandhi Gram Panchayats,” he said, while urging people to visit Sabarmati Ashram’s replica in Gadag. He said people who cannot afford to travel to Ahmedabad can visit this place.
Published – October 02, 2026 09:37 pm IST
