Lawyers protest statue removal from Gzb court

GHAZIABAD: The Ghaziabad Police, along with district administration officials, early on Tuesday morning night, launched a crack down and removed a statue of Dalit icon BR Ambedkar that had been installed ‘without permission’ at the Ghaziabad district court complex.

Police said the operation to remove the statute, which had been installed by Ghaziabad District Bar Association members near the main entrance of the court complex on December 31, 2017, was conducted around 1am on Tuesday morning. The police had to ‘forcibly’ remove 10-12 lawyers who were standing guard to protect the statue.

Following the action, a large number of lawyers gathered at the court complex on Tuesday and staged protests. The lawyers kept away from work on Tuesday and will also strike from work on Wednesday. An FIR has been lodged against bar association office bearers and members.

Later, a heavy contingent of police force — roped in from 16 police station areas, including neighbouring Hapur and Noida and provincial armed constabulary — was rushed to the spot to maintain law and order.

Sources said that the installation of the nearly 12-feet high statue came ahead of the forthcoming bar association elections which is scheduled in March/ April. However, the bar association members denied that the statue had anything to do with the polls and claimed that a resolution for its installation had been passed in April 2017.

“We installed the statue on the evening of December 31, 2017. Later, a large contingent of police force arrived and removed it. It is an act of loot by police. They beat 10-12 of our members who were standing guard. They had brought a earth digger machine and took away the statue. We will approach for lodging of FIR against the officers. We will file an FIR in the case soon,” said Rakesh Tyagi Kakda, president of Ghaziabad Bar Association.

He added that the bar association members didn’t know that permission had to be sought before the installation of a statue.

Later, a delegation of bar association members mellowed their stance and held a meeting with Ghaziabad district magistrate Ritu Maheshwari and senior superintendent of police HN Singh at district headquarters on Tuesday evening.

“During the meeting, the bar association agreed that their representation for permission will be forwarded to state government and a decision will be taken up as per norms. The land where the statue was put belongs to the,” Maheshwari said.