The hearing of the case related to the statue of Rani Lakshmibai is going on in the High Court
The Delhi High Court has reprimanded the Shahi Idgah Committee for playing communal politics in court over the statue of Queen of Jhansi in capital Delhi. The court said that Rani Lakshmibai is a symbol of national pride and do not try to divide history for communal politics. The court also asked the Shahi Eidgah Management Committee to apologize for its ‘reprehensible’ arguments. The committee today informed on Friday that it has apologized. The hearing of the case has been adjourned till next week.
On the other hand, the work of installing the statue of Queen of Jhansi in the Shahi Idgah Park of Sadar Bazar has been stopped today on Friday. The work has been stopped on the notification of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The hearing of this case in the Delhi High Court has been adjourned till October 1 next week.
After the reprimand, the committee apologized
During today’s hearing, the Shahi Eidgah Committee told the High Court that an apology letter in this matter has been submitted to the registry yesterday. At present, the court has not placed any ban on installing the statue of Queen of Jhansi in the Shahi Idgah Park.
During the last hearing, the High Court also strongly objected to certain lines stated in the petition filed by the Masjid Committee, which questioned the correctness of the single judge’s decision, under which the court allowed the DDA. Permission was granted to install a statue of Rani Lakshmibai to build the Shahi Idgah Park in Jhansi. A single judge of the High Court recently declared some of the disputed land to belong to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) instead of the mosque.
The High Court condemned the communal colouring
A bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela of the Delhi High Court, when the case came up for hearing on Wednesday, slammed the Idgah Committee for trying to give a communal color to the entire episode and directed that it should be punished for its conduct on Thursday. After the court’s reprimand, the committee’s counsel tendered an unconditional apology and also sought permission to withdraw the appeal. Today, the hearing of this case in the High Court has been adjourned to October 1.
Justice Manmohan expressed displeasure that communal politics was being played by the court. You are presenting it as if it is a religious issue, but it is a law and order situation. It is a matter of pride to have a statue of the Queen of Jhansi. We talk about women empowerment and you have a point.
Your advice is divisive: HC
He continued, “Jhansi Ki Rani is like a national hero crossing religious lines. Petitioner draws communal lines. You guys should not create division along communal lines. Your advice is divisive. If the land belongs to you then you should have come forward to install the statue yourself.
During the hearing in the High Court, it was argued by the counsel for the Shahi Eidgah Committee that installing the statue of Queen Lakshmibai of Jhansi in front of the Shahi Eidgah would create law and order situation in the area. The Delhi Minority Committee has passed a status quo order and hence the statue cannot be installed.
DDA’s lawyer expressed displeasure
The counsel further submitted in his argument that since the order issued by the Minority Committee has not been challenged before the Single Judge, the order will still remain in force. An alternative site has been identified by the DDA and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), where the statue can be installed.
But during the hearing, the DDA counsel expressed displeasure over some “reprehensible” passages in the committee’s arguments and drew the court’s attention to the matter. The lawyer told the court that he was directed to a single judge who had recently decided that the disputed land belonged to the DDA. On this, the double bench asked for an apology.
After the decision of the High Court, the matter of installing the statue of Queen of Jhansi in Delhi’s Shahi Idgah Park has become clear. The controversy came to light when it was decided to move the statue of Rani Lakshmibai from Deshbandhu Gupta Road and for this DDA gave land near Shahi Idgah Park.
Why did the controversy start over the statue?
However, the Shahi Idgah Mosque Committee opposed it. The committee approached the court against this decision. The mosque committee claimed that the land belonged to the Waqf Board. While the DDA said that the vacant land near the Shahi Idgah belongs to him.
The Public Works Department under the Delhi Government launched a project in 2016-17 to build a signal free road from Tis Hazari to Panchkuia Road via Phimistan in view of heavy traffic jams. Under this, the statue of Rani Lakshmibai was to be moved to Deshbandhu Gupta Road. The DDA offered its land near the Shahi Idgah to install the statue, but the Idgah Committee went to the Delhi High Court against it. But the court declared it as government land.
Meanwhile, a rumor spread yesterday evening and a large number of people reached the Shahi Idgah Masjid. Although the police explained and sent them back, security has been tightened and heavy police presence has been deployed there due to Friday prayers.
