Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): The High Court has directed the state government to remove all the statues installed on intersections after January 18, 2013 in Madhya Pradesh.
The court also imposed a penalty of Rs 30,000 on Bhopal Municipal Corporation and state government.
The court’s order came after hearing a petition filed by Grism Jain, a social worker from Jabalpur, regarding installation of former Chief Minister Arjun Singh’s statue at a square in TT Nagar area.
Jain in his petition apprised the court that the Supreme Court, on January 18, 2013, had given a stay on installation of statues at intersections and public places. He further informed the court that the statue of Arjun Singh was installed after January 18, 2013.
Seeking the court's intervention, Jain claimed that statues at intersections created hurdles in traffic movement.
After hearing the petition on Thursday, the single bench of justice Sheel Nagu directed the state government and the Bhopal Municipal Corporation to remove all statues installed at intersections and public places after January 18, 2013.
The court also asked to submit an action taken report.
While hearing, the court also expressed concern over officials of Bhopal Municipal Corporation as the latter had submitted to different replies in the high court.
According to reports, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation had filed a reply in the court, claiming that the statue of Arjun Singh was not a hurdle in traffic movement.
But, in its second reply submitted before the court in July, 2021, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation claimed that the same statue was creating problems in traffic movement.
The court said that the government official must have followed the law, but they, in this case, didn’t follow.
