HC seeks details of statues installed in Rohtak from DC
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Rohtak to file an affidavit giving details of all statues installed in Rohtak after the passing of a judgment by the Supreme Court in 2013, prohibiting the practice.
"The Deputy Commissioner, Rohtak, is directed to file an affidavit giving details of all the statutes which have been installed in Rohtak after the passing of judgment of the Apex Court in Union of India versus State of Gujarat and others on 18.01.2013 (Annexure P-7), along with date(s) of installation(s) and the person(s) whose statue(s) has/have been installed," states the order issued by the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sudhir Singh.
Advocate Nikhil Ghai, who appeared on behalf of the petitioner, said the matter would now come up for hearing on February 17.
Appearing for the proposed respondent/intervener, senior advocate Satya Pal Jain did not dispute that the statue of the late Sri Kishan Das had been installed on public land, but contended that the petitioner had a personal axe to grind since the petitioner and his brother were tenants of the intervener. He submitted that the petitioner had suppressed this material fact.
The Bench directed the petitioner to file a short reply in this regard.
Jain further submitted that a statue of Pandit Shri Ram Sharma had been installed on public land belonging to the HSVP, which was not disputed by Dharmender, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Rohtak, who was appearing virtually.
On this, the Bench directed the DC to file an affidavit regarding the installation of statues in Rohtak after the aforesaid order of the apex court.
A statue of the late Haryana minister, Seth Sri Krishan Das, was installed at the Sonepat stand in Rohtak while his son Manmohan Goel was the Mayor of Rohtak. Devender Sharma, a resident of Rohtak district, filed a PIL in the high court, maintaining that the installation of the statue violated the Supreme Court's directions.
A Division Bench of the high court, comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Anil Kshetarpal ordered the Rohtak MC to follow the Supreme Court's ruling regarding the installation of statues on public land. Following that, the MC had served a notice on the former Mayor and BJP leader Manmohan Goel for the removal of a statue of Goel's father.
