Mangalore : Senior Congress leader and former union minister B Janardhan Poojari inaugurated the procession carrying the statue of former Kerala CM R Shanker, at a function held at the Sri Gokarnanatha Temple at Kudroli on August 25, Sunday.

The procession would proceed towards Tiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala where it the statue would be unveiled on August 31 by Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

In his address, Poojari hailed R Shanker as a great personality who followed the ideals of Sri Narayana Guru.

Kerala Pradesh Congress President Ramesh Chennittala also spoke as a chief guest. Ramanatha Rai, DK District in-charge Minister, UT Khader, Health and Family Welfare Minister, Vinaykumar Sorake, Udupi District Minister, Sharath Chandra Prasad, General Secretary of Kerala Pradesh Congress, Ivan D’Souza, KPCC Secretary and others were present.

Former Kerala CM R Shanker was not only a great politician, but also a lawyer, social reformer who was instrumental in setting up 14 higher education institutions throughout Kerala under the Sri Narayana Trust.