BHOPAL: A controversy has erupted over installation of statue of Congress veteran and former chief minister Arjun Singh at a busy trisection in the state capital where the bust of freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad had existed.
As the BJP and the Congress are raising allegation each other, former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan too jumped into the controversy. Sources said the statue of Azad was removed from TT Nagar area near Nanki petrol pump because it was creating hindrance to traffic some three years back.
During the same period, statues of former president Shankar Dayal Sharma and Maharaja Agrasen were also removed from different places in Bhopal in the name of smooth traffic.
Ex-CM Chouhan tweeted alleging that removal of statue is shameful and those who are involved in the act should be punished.
“We oppose installation of statue of Arjun Singh in place of Chandra Shekhar Azad at TT Nagar Crossing in Bhopal. We don’t have any objection to installation of Arjun Singh’s statue, but oppose installation of the statue at a place where statue of a freedom fighter stood in the past,” Vishwas Sarang, former minister and present BJP MLA from Narela mentioned in the letter written to Chief Minister Kamal Nath, on Sunday.
The BJP MLA further demanded the CM to issue necessary directions for installing Chandra Shekhar Azad’s statue at the spot again.
Congress state vice-president Bhupendra Gupta, said “BJP leaders tweet and write letters without cross checking facts. Three years ago, it was during the Chouhan-led government only that the statue of Azad was removed from the busy crossing on Link Road No. 1. Since last three years, the concerned road crossing was empty. Just a year back, Bhopal Nagar Nigam Parishad had passed a resolution to install Arjun Singh’s statue there. The same resolution is now being implemented.”
He also alleged that the government had removed statues of Indira Gandhi, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia and Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma.
Sources said that formal installation ceremony of the statue which was slated for Monday now stands cancelled owing to prohibitory orders being in place in Bhopal. The new dates for installation ceremony will be announced later.
