HC allows Vajpayee statue in Hyderabad’s Picket Gardens

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has approved the installation of a statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Picket Public Gardens in the Secunderabad Cantonment area, dismissing a public interest litigation (PIL) that challenged the statue’s placement.

The PIL, filed by social activist Jetty Umeshwar Rao, raised concerns about the statue’s potential impact on the park’s greenery and environment, citing Supreme Court guidelines against erecting statues in public spaces like parks.

The unveiling ceremony is set to be officiated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh as part of the celebrations for Vajpayee’s birth centenary.

The court’s decision came after arguments from both sides; Rao’s counsel contended that the statue’s installation lacked necessary approvals and fell outside the Cantonment Board’s responsibilities.

However, the additional solicitor general, B. Narasimha Sarma, countered that the statue had already been constructed and that measures would be taken to protect the park’s 13-acre area with a compound wall to maintain its greenery.

In its ruling, the bench concluded that the responsibilities of the Cantonment Board need not be strictly defined by regulations and found no legal violations in proceeding with the statue’s installation.

The court also clarified that the Supreme Court guidelines referenced by the petitioner primarily pertain to religious structures rather than statues of national leaders.