Tensions escalate between lawyer groups over installation of Ambedkar statue at Madhya Pradesh HC
In a related development, Bhim Army national president Satpal Tanwar announced on Friday that he would visit Gwalior on May 26. He also appealed to Bhim Sena activists in Rajasthan to gather at the Jaipur Bench of the Rajasthan High Court and remove the statue of Sage Manu if the installation of Ambedkar's statue at the Gwalior Bench is not permitted.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Congress spokesperson and former MLA Shailendra Patel, who belongs to the OBC community, described the opposition to Ambedkar's statue as an act of 'disrespect to the Indian Constitution.'
The controversy dates back to February 19, when a group of lawyers met the then Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Suresh Kumar Kait, and submitted a memorandum seeking approval for the statue. The Chief Justice reportedly gave verbal consent, after which a local committee was formed and a platform was constructed within the Gwalior Bench premises.
However, a significant section of the High Court Bar Association in Gwalior opposed the initiative, claiming that the broader bar community was not informed and that necessary permissions from the building committee were not obtained. This disagreement triggered tensions between the two lawyer factions.
On May 10, members of the Bar Association hoisted the national flag at the proposed statue site. They stated that the act was to commemorate Operation Sindoor and expressed their intention to erect a 100-foot-high tricolour at the location in the future.
On May 14, a group of lawyers arrived for the statue's installation but were met with strong resistance from members of the Bar Association. Tensions escalated further on May 17, when lawyers opposing the statue reportedly assaulted Bhim Army leader Rupesh Ken and his associates outside the High Court premises in Gwalior, despite a heavy police presence. The Bhim Army members had come in support of the statue's installation.
Subsequently, on May 19, lawyers from both factions travelled to Jabalpur to meet outgoing Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait, who urged them to maintain peace. Since then, both sides have continued to hold discussions.
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