BENGALURU, Sept. 18 -- A nine foot statue of former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah was removed by the Kalaburagi City Corporation on Thursday morning after his supporters installed it without permission at High Court Circle, as chief minister D K Shivakumar was in the city for Kalyana Karnataka Utsav celebrations.

A group of seven to eight people from Sharan Sirasagi village brought the statue to the spot late on Wednesday and installed it in the public space. Shivakumar was scheduled to pass through the junction on his way to Afzalpur on Thursday, making the unauthorised structure a matter for the local administration before his movement through the area.

"Corporation officials reached the site after learning about the installat...