The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday sought clarity from the Uttar Pradesh government on whether a statue can legally be installed on a public road or government land, and if not, what procedure exists for its removal or relocation.
A division bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Rajiv Bharti raised the question while hearing a suo motu case concerning the installation of a statue of former MLA Chandrabhadhra Singh on a Public Works Department (PWD) road in Sultanpur.
The court directed the Sultanpur District Magistrate to file a detailed affidavit addressing the issue and explaining the procedure followed in such cases. The matter has been listed for further hearing on November 25.
The issue first arose through a public interest litigation (PIL) that challenged the installation of the statue on public land. The court, however, dismissed the PIL, observing that it appeared to have been filed for political motives. Later, the bench took suo motu cognisance of the matter, noting that it regularly receives petitions concerning the installation or removal of statues from public places and government property.
In its earlier order, the High Court had asked the state to explain the legal framework governing such installations. On Friday, the government informed the bench through an affidavit that two statues had been installed on PWD land in Sultanpur by the local municipality.
However, when the court inquired about the statutory process for removal or relocation, it found the affidavit silent on the issue. Expressing dissatisfaction, the bench directed the District Magistrate to file a fresh and comprehensive affidavit detailing both the installation and removal process for statues on government land.
Additionally, the court directed that the Sultanpur Municipality be impleaded as a respondent in the case and asked its Executive Officer to clarify under what authority or rule the statue of the former MLA was installed on PWD property.
