Ghaziabad court forced to shut as lawyers protest removal of Ambedkar statue

Dr. BR Ambedkar. (Express archive photo)

A Ghaziabad court was forced to stop operations on Tuesday following protests by a section of lawyers against the removal of a statue of BR Ambedkar from the court complex. The statue was installed, allegedly without prior permission, on the night of December 31, taking lawyers and litigants by surprise, said the district administration.

On Tuesday, the statue was removed by the administration. This led to protests by Dalit lawyers and several members of the public. Soon, the demonstration swelled in size, forcing the police to send in reinforcements. “Ultimately the functioning of the court came to a complete halt, and litigants had to be let out by the police,” said a senior police officer.

With elections to the Ghaziabad Bar Association coming up, a section of lawyers said that the installation of the statue and the consequent protest was a “calculated attempt” to gain Dalit votes for the polls.

Additional District Magistrate Gyanendra Singh confirmed that “the approval of the district administration was a mandatory formality, and was not sought prior to the statue’s installation”. A case has been lodged against the Bar Association for installing the statue without permission, the officer said.

Bar Association president Rakesh Kalra said, “The association had passed a resolution to install the statue. By removing it, police have insulted the legacy of the maker of the Constitution.” The Bar association has called another strike on Wednesday.

Police, however, claimed that the issue had been dealt with. “The association spoke to the police and it was decided that they would re-apply for permission to install the statue, which will then be forwarded to the government,” the officer added.