HC declines to restrain TN govt from unveiling actor's statue

Chennai, July 19 (UNI) The Madras High court today declined to restrain Tamil Nadu government from unveiling the statue of Thespian Sivaji Ganesan on the arterial Kamaraj Road off the world famous Marina.

Passing orders on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Mr Justice D Murugesan said the state government could go ahead with the unveiling. But all the actions taken by it would be necessarily subject to the orders of the Supreme court.

Adjourning the case to August 21 to enable the state government to approach the Supreme court, if it desired for appropriate orders, the Bench made it clear that it was not expressing any opinion on the merit of the case.

The PIL was filed by Mr Srinivasan, a freedom fighter, who opposed the installation of the statue on Kamaraj Road, stating it would obstruct the view of Gandhi statue, already installed on Marina.

The state government, which had already erected a life size bronze statue of the late actor, proposed to unveil it on July 22 on the occasion of the thespian's death anniversary.

UNI XR/WS AK DB2145