Sivaji statue: High Court leaves it to Tamil Nadu

Chennai: The Madras high court on Thursday ordered the state government to take a decision on removing the statue of the late movie icon, Sivaji Ganesan, from the Kamarajar Salai junction where it was  proving a hindrance to traffic.

A  division bench comprising Justices S.K. Agnihotri and K.K. Sasidharan, said  roads  were meant for pedestrians and motorists and not for erecting statues. Leaders could be honoured in a more appropriate manner, they maintained.

“By erecting statues  in the middle of public roads and inconveniencing motorists, we are actually showing disrespect to such distinguished personalities. The memorials should be erected at more appropriate places,” the judges said.

Allowing a petition by P Nagarajan pleading for removal of the statue, the bench recalled that the Governor had in his address to the assembly on May 24, 2006 announced a decision to erect the Sivaji statue opposite the DGP’s office. But the authorities  concerned had ignored this and erected it in the middle of an arterial road, they regretted.

“The government has no special right to erect a statue on a public road. The regulations  prohibiting the building of permanent structures like statues on roads  equally apply to it,” the judges noted, adding that  it was now up to the government to take a decision in  the matter.