Controversy in Karnataka over converting the historic Balabrui Guest House into a club
Bengaluru (IANS). The Congress government’s attempt to convert the historic Balabrui Guest House in Bengaluru into a club has created a controversy in Karnataka. Mahatma Gandhi once stayed in this guest house.
Addressing a press conference at the party office on Saturday, AAP’s communications chief Brijesh Kalappa condemned the state government’s decision to convert the Balabrui Heritage Guest House in the heart of the city into a ‘constitutional club’.
Expressing his indignation, he said that it was a shame to use the historic guest house where Mahatma Gandhi used to reside.
It is a historic building where Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, who wrote the national anthem, the first Prime Minister and Congress icon Jawaharlal Nehru stayed. This is the guest house where Mark Cuban stayed. Late CM Devraj Arasu lived here for many years.
He said that it is not right to use a guest house with such an important history where so many important people have come. The state government should immediately drop the decision to convert the historic heritage building into an entertainment club. Brijesh Kalappa demanded that action should be taken for the conservation of Balabrui.
Had BJP’s biggest leaders like Syama Prasad Mukherjee, Deen Dayal Upadhyay stayed in this guest house for a few days, would BJP not have converted Balabrui into a temple? He asked the Congressmen how they could think of making the guest house a center of fun and entertainment where once the tallest leaders of your own party used to stay.
Trying to build a big club in a small space is unscientific. He expressed concern that a lot of trees would have to be cut for this work.
Senior leader and former BJP MP Dr. Venkatesh said that the state government should work to give respect to historical places. Heritage should be recognised. It is not right to allow such heritage structures to be converted into entertainment clubs.
According to media reports, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah himself did not attend the meeting held on August 31 in this regard. It is learned that he has an objection to the conversion of the historic guest house into an entertainment club.
