The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday, January 2, refused to pass an interim order at this stage against the unveiling of a statue of late Sri Shivaratri Rajendra Swami of Suttur Mutt at Gun House Circle in Mysuru as petitioners have not produced any material to show that the statue is scheduled to be unveiled on January 4.
However, the Court sought the State government’s response to the complaint made in a PIL petition that the permission granted by a district-level committee on December 5, 2023, for the installation of the statue, was contrary to the directions of the apex court on the installation of statues. The court also noted that the statue is already installed based on the permission granted by the committee.
Chief Justice Prasanna B. Varale and Justice Krishna S. Dixit passed the interim order on the petition filed by Subramanya and Sheelavathi N., both Mysuru-based advocates.
The petitioners have contended that the permission granted was contrary to the guidelines issued by the apex court and the directions issued by the High Court against the installation of statues on public roads, particularly at traffic junctions.
In an earlier round of litigation, a Division Bench of the High Court, in its September 2021 order on a PIL petition filed by Akhila Bharata Kshatriya Mahasabha and Karnataka Rajya Arasu Sangha, had quashed the permission given in 2017 for the installation of the statue of the seer at the circle.
While observing that no statue can be installed at Gun House Circle as it would be contrary to the apex court’s directions, the High Court had directed the State government to implement the apex court’s directions across the State.
Later, the High Court, in June 2022, reviewed its 2021 order on a review petition filed by the State government and permitted the setting up of a district-level committee to examine the proposal to install the statue in terms of the apex court’s guidelines.
However, the petitioners have now claimed that the permission granted by the committee is contrary to the apex court’s 2013 clear direction for not granting permission for the installation of any statue or construction of any structures on public roads, pavements or sideways, etc.
