‘Can put up photos of only Mahatma Gandhi and Thiruvalluvar, not Ambedkar’, says Madras High Court

Salil Tiwari / New Delhi. Commenting on the installation of BR Ambedkar’s photo in the courts, the Madras High Court said that only statues and photographs of Mahatma Gandhi and Saint Thiruvalluvar can be installed in the court. For this, the Madras High Court has issued a circular to the District Judiciary, asking them to strictly follow the resolutions passed earlier by the Full Court of the High Court. In this circular, except for the statues and pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and Saint Thiruvalluvar, no other picture has been ordered to be placed anywhere inside the court premises in Tamil Nadu.

On April 11, the full bench of the High Court rejected the requests
In fact, several advocates’ associations had sought permission to unveil the photographs of Ambedkar and senior advocates of the respective association, in a meeting held on 11 April, the Full Bench of the High Court rejected all such requests. On July 7, the Registrar-General of the High Court had issued a circular in this regard. According to the circular, this issue has already been considered by the High Court on various occasions.

So far many proposals have been rejected
The circular mentioned that similar requests were made by various advocates’ associations in the years 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2019 and April 2023, but these were rejected. In the year 2008, a resolution was passed where the High Court rejected the request of the Tamil Nadu Dr. BR Ambedkar Advocates Association to install portraits of national leaders in all courtrooms in the state.

Incidents of collision mentioned in the circular
In a meeting held on March 11, 2010, in the wake of incidents where damage to statues of national leaders had led to clashes and law and order situations, the full court passed a resolution that no statues shall be erected in any court premises, whether Chennai or Madurai Benches, district courts or taluk courts, or any other court premises. The same proposal was repeated in 2011 and 2013 as well, where a request was made to install portraits of Dr. BR Ambedkar in the newly constructed court buildings.

,

Tags: madras high court