In a circular to all district courts, the clerk-general of the high court also instructed the chief district judge of Kancheepuram to persuade the Bar Association association in Alandur to remove BR portraits Ambedkar from the entrance hall of the newly built combined court complex.
The issue concerns representations received from various defenders’ associations requesting permission to release portraits of Ambedkar and leading defenders of the association in question.
In a meeting held on April 11, the full high court rejected all those requests. Listing various resolutions approved by the plenary session of the court in this regard, the circular states that in the session held on March 11, 2010, while noting that there have been incidents in which damage has been caused to the statutes of national leaders, which has generated friction and situations of public order in different places… the plenary session of the court resolved not to allow the erection of more statues in the judicial premises.
Similarly, on 27 April 2013, the full court ordered the Kancheepuram Chief District Judge to persuade the Alandur Court Bar Association remove Ambedkar’s portrait and refused Cuddalore Bar’s request to display his likeness in the newly formed special courts, the circular said.
“Very recently, on April 11, the full court considered a similar request and reiterated all previous rulings and unanimously resolved that, except for the statues and portraits of Gandhi and Thiruvalluvar, no other portraits or photographs shall be displayed anywhere within the court premises,” the circular added.
The Registrar General indicated that in case of any deviation, action will be taken by filing a proper complaint with the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Bar Association.