Sentiments protected while installing Lakshmi Bai statue, agencies tell Delhi High Court

MCD and DDA assure Delhi High Court of respecting sentiments while installing Lakshmi Bai statue in Shahi Idgah Park.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Friday told the Delhi High Court that it had taken care of “sentiments” while installing a statue of Lakshmi Bai at the Shahi Idgah Park in Sadar Bazar.

The civic body said that the statue had been placed at a “corner” of the park, nearly 200 m away from the wall of the Idgah while a counsel of the urban body told the court that a partition wall had been built and that “sentiments are being protected”.

The court, which was hearing an appeal by the Shahi Idgah Managing Committee against a single judge’s order refusing to restrain installing the statue of the Jhansi queen who fought a fierce battle against the British forces, asked the authorities to take a delegation of the appellant to the site to show how the statue had been placed.

“Take a small team and show them the area. Three representatives of the appellant are permitted to visit the area where the statue has been installed. Take them tomorrow,” said the Bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela while posting the case for hearing on October 7.

Earlier, the single judge had rejected a petition by the committee, which sought directions to the civic authorities not to “encroach” upon the Shahi Idgah, claiming it to be a Waqf property. The committee had referred to a gazette notification published in 1970, stating that the Shahi Idgah Park is an ancient property built during the Mughal period, which is being used to offer namaz.

The single judge had said that the petitioner has “no legal or fundamental right” to oppose the maintenance and upkeep of the parks or open ground surrounding the Shahi Idgah and that Lakshmi Bai was a national hero and history should not be divided on communal politics.

While agreeing that Lakshmi Bai was a national figure, the counsel for the appellant submitted that the park is used for a certain religious programme when prayers are offered there.