Gwalior, June 17 (IANS) Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has said that the proposal of installing B.R. Ambedkar’s statue at the Gwalior bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court premises was unnecessarily made controversial.

The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said that he could not understand why Ambedkar’s statue at the court premises was opposed when a proposal was already approved from the High Court.

“I can’t understand why some people are opposing Ambedkar’s statue at the court premises. When it (statue) can be installed at the Supreme Court premises, then why can’t at the Madhya Pradesh High Court? Unnecessary controversy is being made on this issue,” he added.

Digvijaya Singh, who was in Gwalior to attend a programme, while speaking to media persons also said that Ambedkar is an undisputed leader, who devoted his entire life for the nation.

“I believe that there should be no objection on Ambedkar’s statue,” he added.

He also said, “The matter is before the Supreme Court, and I would request the Chief Justice of India to take a decision as soon as possible.”

The proposal for installation of Ambedkar’s statue, which was approved by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, was opposed by a group of advocates practising at the Gwalior bench of the High Court.

Notably, a proposal to have a statue of Ambedkar installed in the premises was sent to the High Court in February this year, after which a committee to examine the request allowed it.

However, in March this year, a group of lawyers opposing the proposed development had held a protest at the High Court’s premises, which later resulted in a clash with another group of lawyers.

The dispute took yet another turn earlier, when a group of lawyers allegedly tried to block the site of the statue by hoisting the national flag there.

Although, the Registrar at the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Yuval Raghuvanshi, passed an order allowing the installation of the statue, however, after relentless objections from a section of lawyers, it was put on hold.

Since then, the Madhya Pradesh Congress unit continues its demand for installation of Ambedkar’s statue inside the premises of the High Court.

Last month, Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari had written a letter to the Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, seeking his intervention on the matter.

The Congress has been highlighting this issue at every programme in the state.

Last week, Patwari had said that the Congress would launch a political movement to seek public consent for the installation of B.R. Ambedkar’s statue at the court premises.

–IANS

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