No issue with Arjun Singh statue, problem only with place of installation: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said that while there was no issue with the installation of the statue of former chief minister Arjun Singh, but it should not be carried out at the place from where the bust of freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad was removed.

"We are not protesting against the installation of Arjun Singh's statue, it should be installed. But it should not be done at the place from where Chandra Shekarji's statue was removed due to traffic reasons. It can be done at any other place," Chouhan told reporters here.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress have locked horns over the installation of a 10-feet statue of former chief minister Arjun Singh at Major Nanke petrol pump tri-section, from where the bust of freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad was removed three years ago citing traffic management issues.

Three years back, Chandra Shekhar Azad's bust was removed from the tri-section and installed on the side of the road. However, at the same spot, Arjun Singh's statue has been installed now.

The statue was supposed to be unveiled by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on November 11. However, the event was later postponed due to the imposition of Section 144 currently in the city, according to Arjun Singh's son and Congress leader Ajay Singh.

In a social media post, Ajay Singh said that the new dates are expected to be announced in three to four days.

Speaking about his party's MLA Prahlad Lodhi, Chouhan said that he would attend the upcoming winter session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly.

"The Vidhan Sabha speaker has no authority to revoke the membership of an MLA. Prahlad Lodhi will take part in the proceedings of the upcoming winter session," Chouhan said.

Earlier on November 7, the Jabalpur High Court provided relief to Lodhi by suspending the conviction and sentence against him till January 7 next year.

The court has directed the MLA to furnish a personal bond of Rs 40, 000 with one surety and directed him to appear before a trial court on November 31.

Lodhi had received a two-year sentence by a lower court in Madhya Pradesh after he was found guilty of attacking a revenue officer in 2014 by the court.

Following this, the membership of Lodhi, elected from Pawai Assembly constituency, was revoked on November 2 after he was convicted for two years by a special court in an old case.