The Madras High Court on Wednesday called for a report from the Chief Secretary on the steps that need to be taken to pull down unauthorised statues erected on government lands and public places in the State.
Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu called for the report following a public interest litigation petition by advocate M. Loganathan of Coimbatore. He wanted the Supreme Court orders against unauthorised statues to be implemented.
The petitioner insisted that all illegal statues, including the two bronze statues of former Chief Ministers M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa, on Avinashi Road and Dr. Balasundaram Road junction in Coimbatore, should be razed.
Passing interim orders in the case, the judges wrote: “The Chief Secretary should indicate the steps taken in terms of the Supreme Court’s directions and the manner in which statues that have been put up at public places, in contravention of the directions or in violation of government notifications issued in the State, will be brought down.”
The judges made it clear that the Chief Secretary’s affidavit should also indicate how the directions issued by the Supreme Court in such regard had been communicated to local officials of Municipalities, Corporations, panchayats and even revenue officials, including Collectors at the district level, and block development officers. The court directed the registry to list the case on December 15.
