HC gives one week to MP govt to file report on ex-CM's statue

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday granted one week to the chief secretary to file a report about compliance of Supreme Court directives in respect to installation of a life-sized statue of late Congress leader Arjun Singh at a busy road trisection in Bhopal.

A controversy erupted last month after a life-size statue of Singh, a former chief minister, was installed at a busy road trisection in Bhopal, where there was a bust of legendary freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad earlier.

Azad's bust had been removed some years ago to carry out road expansion work, and later re-installed at a nearby spot in the state capital.

Greeshm Jain, a lawyer, had filed a public interest litigation (PIL), claiming the installation of Singh's statue violated a 2013 Supreme Court order restraining civic authorities from installing a statue or erecting any other structure on roads or pavements.

On Thursday, advocate general Shashank Shekhar told the HC the state government will comply with the Supreme Courts directives and file a report next week in this regard, said the petitioners counsel, Satish Verma.

In 2013, the apex court had restrained states from giving permission to install any statue or erect any structure on public roads, pavements and sideways and other public utility places, Verma said.

A division bench comprising Justices Sanjay Yadav and V K Shukla granted a week's time to the chief secretary to file the compliance report, the counsel said.

On Monday, the court had sought a reply from the chief secretary on the PIL.