The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the Tamil Nadu government’s plea seeking permission to install a bronze statue of former chief minister M Karunanidhi in Tirunelveli district, questioning the use of public money for such projects.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Prashant Kumar Mishra made it clear that the proposal could not be allowed. “It is not permitted. Why are you using public funds for glorifying your former leaders?” the judges observed during the brief hearing.
Senior advocate P Wilson, appearing for the state, argued that while the statue was barred, the court should clarify whether an arch already under construction could be retained since nearly Rs 30 lakh had been spent on it. The bench, however, declined to intervene and dismissed the appeal against the Madras High Court order.
The High Court had earlier held that the government cannot issue ad hoc orders permitting the installation of statues in public spaces. It suggested instead the creation of a dedicated “Leaders Park” where statues of prominent figures could be set up, enabling young people to learn about their ideas and ideologies without causing public inconvenience.
“On account of heavy traffic congestion and other mitigating factors, the general public is put to hardship in the event of granting such permissions. When the Supreme Court has already passed an order not to grant any permission to install statues in public places, the state government cannot override it,” the High Court had ruled.
With the apex court’s rejection, the state’s effort to commemorate the late DMK patriarch at a public site in Tirunelveli has come to an end.
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