Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Indore division bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the state’s Chief Secretary to enforce a strict ban on the installation of new statues in all municipalities and municipal councils across the state.
The order came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the growing trend of statue installations at public places. The court said that the directive must be uniformly implemented and that no new statues should be erected in public spaces, irrespective of the individual or community involved.
The PIL traces its roots to a communal clash in Makdone, Ujjain, in January 2024, where members of the Patidar community installed a statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel without official permission. In retaliation, Scheduled Caste members and activists from the Bhim Army vandalised the statue and vowed to install one of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar in its place. The confrontation led to multiple FIRs and rising tensions in the region.
Following the incident, various communities submitted proposals to the local municipal council demanding the installation of statues representing their cultural icons — including Parashuram (from the Brahmin community), Devnarayan (from the Gurjar community), among others. The local Nagar Parishad began considering these requests, referencing different intersections and public spaces as potential sites, raising further concern.
The PIL, filed by Rajesh, a local farmer from Makdone, brought the matter to the High Court, citing the risk of traffic disruption, communal tension and legal violations. Importantly, the Indore court’s ruling reinforces an earlier 2023 order by the Principal Bench in Jabalpur, which had also banned new statue installations, allowing only existing ones to remain.
Advocate Manish Yadav, representing the petitioner, highlighted that even the Supreme Court has issued similar guidelines in the past, cautioning against the placement of statues in public infrastructure projects like roads, bridges and parks. ‘The guidelines of both the High Court and the Supreme Court are not being adhered to,’ Yadav stated in court. ‘Despite clear orders, municipalities continue to plan new installations.’
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