Date:18/07/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/07/18/stories/2006071817930400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

High Court orders status quo on Sivaji statue for the time being

Special Correspondent

Statue will be damaged if removed from pedestal: government counsel

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday ordered status quo on the Sivaji statue issue, and said it would nominate an expert on Tuesday to find out if the statue would suffer any damage if it were to be removed from the pedestal now.

When the matter came up before the First Bench comprising Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice Prabha Sridevan, Advocate-General R. Viduthalai submitted that the Chief Minister had personally visited three alternative sites in the city and that none of them were "technically feasible." He also said the statue would be damaged if it was removed from the pedestal.

To this, the Bench said it would appoint an expert to report to the court whether the statue would be damaged if such an attempt was made. The report shall be submitted in court in three days, it said.

Reiterating the need to avoid "unpleasantness and bitterness" in the proceedings, the Bench said it would try to adjudicate the matter without offending anyone. It then ordered the status quo to be maintained, and added, "postpone everything for the time being."

Counsel for the Sivaji Ganesan Social Welfare Association S. Prabakaran said there was a "vested interest" in filing of the petition.

He said installation of the statue would not hinder vehicular flow at the Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai-Kamarajar Salai junction as a traffic island at the spot had been pruned further.

The statue is scheduled to be inaugurated on July 21.