No nod given for erecting statues at public places, State informs court

The counter-affidavit was submitted as per the direction of the first bench of the acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice PD Audikesavalu. “After the orders of the Supreme Court in 2013, the state has not granted any permission to erect statues in public places. The Information and Public Relations Department will keep on maintaining the statues which were already erected. Revenue Department as the nodal department will deal with the court cases related to the statue installation,” the counter-affidavit read.

On October 27, 2021, the judges, when hearing a PIL moved by M Loganathan seeking direction to remove the bronze statues of the former chief ministers MG Ramachandran aka MGR and J Jayalalithaa erected in Balasundaran Road and Avinashi Junction in Coimbatore and other unauthorized statues erected across the state, the bench directed the state government to file a counter-affidavit explaining the steps taken in terms of the direction of the Apex Court to prevent the erection of statues in public places.

Adhering to that, the Chief Secretary filed the counter affidavit explaining the duties of the revenue department, police department, local bodies, highways department and district collectors pertaining to the implementation of SC’s direction against the installation of unauthorised statues. Even as the matter was listed for January 21, 2022, the HC adjourned the matter to February 11, 2022 as per the request of the state.