The Madras High Court Bench here on Wednesday admitted a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed by a lawyer seeking removal of statues and religious structures posing hindrance to free flow of traffic in public places across the State.
A Division Bench comprising Justice R. Sudhakar and Justice V.M. Velumani also ordered notice to Chief Secretary and Director-General of Police returnable in four weeks. Advocate C. Ramesh of Sivaganga district had filed the PIL petition.
According to him, a total of 16,612 statues and 6,311 molecular religious structures had been installed on highways, roads, streets, lanes and by lanes in the State, with and without permission from authorities concerned. Most of these installations led to frequent traffic congestion.
Some of the statues were also covered with iron grills to prevent defacement and consequent disturbance to law and order.
Such unpleasant incidents could be avoided if the State government decides to remove all the statues irrespective of religion, caste, creed, and political affiliation, he said.
Citing instances of the State government having made sure that names of districts in the State and State-owned transport corporations were bereft of such affiliations, the petitioner said that the government should come forward to do it in the case of statues too.
