HC directs govt to consider removal of Sivaji Ganesan statue

Madras High Court today directed the state government to decide on removal of a statue of legendary actor, the late Sivaji Ganesan, from a busy road junction here.
"The roads and streets are meant for pedestrians and motorists. It is not meant for erection of statues. There is no dispute that the leaders and stalwarts should be respected in an appropriate manner.
"By erecting statues on the middle of public road, by giving difficulties to the motorists and general public, actually we are showing disrespect to such distinguishing personalities," a Division Bench of Justices Satish K Agnihotri and K K Sasidharan said.

"The memorials should be erected only at unobjectionable places and in any case not on the middle of roads," the bench said.
Names of celebrated artistes like Sivaji Ganesan should not be dragged into the midst of litigation by the state by erecting his statue on the middle of road, to the dislike of motorists and pedestrians, the bench said in its order.
Materials on record show that the statue erected on the middle of the road at Kamarajar Salai Junction would affect the view of drivers besides hinder traffic flow, the bench said, allowing a petition filed by by P N Srinivasan (since deceased) which was substituted by one P Nagarajan.

The petitioner had prayed for a direction to authorities to remove the statue.