The full court of the High Court of Karnataka on Friday resolved to place the portrait of B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution of India, at all official functions of the courts, such as Republic Day, Independence Day and Constitution Day in the High Court’s Principal Bench at Bengaluru, Benches at Dharwad and Kalaburagi, and also in district and taluk courts in the State.
In a circular issued, based on the resolution passed in the full court’s meeting, Registrar General T.G. Shivashankare Gowda stated that additional registrars at Dharwad and Kalaburagi Benches, and all the concerned unit heads of the district judiciary are directed to instruct all the courts coming under their jurisdiction to take necessary action to place the portrait of Dr. Ambedkar in the functions such as Republic Day, Independence Day and Constitution Day.
There were protests in Raichur by a group of advocates and others on January 26 on the allegation that the Principal District and Sessions Judge (PDSJ) got removed a portrait of Dr. Ambedkar kept along with portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, before hoisting the national flag on the court premises.
However, the PDSJ, Mallikarjuna Gouda, had later clarified in writing that some advocates had approached him to keep the portrait of Dr. Ambedkar along with Gandhiji’s portrait as per the Government Order but he had told the advocates that Registrar General of the High Court had informed in the meeting of PDSJs that decision to keep the portrait of Dr. Ambedkar is pending consideration before the full court of the High Court. The PDSJ had also stated that “he had not seen anyone keeping Dr. Ambedkar’s portrait or removing it during the Republic Day ceremony.”
