Y.RAMAKRISHNA Vs. STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present petition has been filed highlighting the issue with regard to installation, removal and re-installation of the statutes of public figures in Gandhi Centre, Nandigama Municipality, NTR District.

(2.) The petitioner claims that statues of public figures and leaders like Dr. B.R.Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh, A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, Rajiv Gandhi, etc., were installed in a traffic island at a four road junction called Gandhi Centre. It is stated that all around the said island, there is sufficient space for free flow of traffic and pedestrian movement and that the presence of the statues do not cause any inconvenience to the public. It is stated that the said statutes are proposed to be removed from the said traffic island and reinstalled in public spaces, one of which has been identified as Government General Hospital, Nandigama. It is alleged that the removal of the statues is proposed on account of nothing but political considerations. Another issue that has been highlighted is that the authorities are not removing the statue of Dr. Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy, which was installed in the year 2010 on the Tahsildar office road margin and renovated in the year 2020 with large pylon on the road margin, which extended into public utility space belonging to Tahsildar's office in Gandhi Centre Junction, thus causing inconvenience to the public at large.

(3.) Learned counsel for the petitioner drew our attention to an order dtd. 18/1/2013 passed by the Hon'ble Apex Court in I.A.No.10 of 2012 in S.L.P. (C) No.8519 of 2006, wherein the following direction has been issued: