The opposing group is mainly made up of former legislator and Kannada Chaluvaligaru (Kannada protagonists) member Vatal Nagaraj and the KRV faction led by Praveen Shetty.

Nagaraj has seen rapid decline in his support base. He lost the May 2008 assembly elections while the two KRV factions accuse each other of indulging in extortion and not working for the interests of Kannada people, language, culture and the border.

With Tamil speakers in majority in several localities in Bangalore, the city police is deploying additional forces in these areas to prevent possible violence.

The usual trouble-prone area is Shivajinagar in the heart of the city.

It is a mini-India with a mixed population, with a large number of Muslims, Christians and Tamil speakers. Temples, mosques and churches dot the area which also houses Russell Market, one of the oldest and most crowded markets in Bangalore.

The other area is Magadi Road, about six km from the city centre. A low and middle income locality, it has a large concentration of Tamil speakers.

Bangalore city Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari has told the pro-Kannada groups that they can hold demonstrations in certain designated places and his men are fully geared to thwart any attempt at violence or disruption of the unveiling ceremony.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, holidaying in Bangalore for the last one week, has been invited by his Karnataka counterpart B.S. Yeddyurappa to be present at the unveiling ceremony.

To placate the agitated pro-Kannada activists, Yeddyurappa has promised to arrange a train journey to anyone from Karnataka wanting to go to Chennai to attend the unveiling of the Sarvajna statue on Aug 13.

Appealing to KRV and other groups to maintain peace, Yeddyurappa told them Friday: 'There is no reason for either the Bangalore shutdown or to hold agitations against the Thiruvalluvar statue unveiling.'