Ambedkar Portrait Row: Madras HC Chief Justice Says Status Quo Will Continue After Meet With Law Minister

The HC registry on July 7 issued a circular to inform that the portraits of leaders other than Mahatma Gandhi and poet Thiruvalluvar will not be permitted for display on court campuses.

Political party leaders also raised concern over such a move.

After Madras High Court laid down rules that only portraits of Mahatma Gandhi and Thiruvalluvar should be displayed in courtrooms of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, protests erupted across the state condemning the move to disallow the portraits of Dr BR Ambedkar. However, the Chief Justice said that no order was issued to remove the portraits of any leaders. 

According to PTI, after the backlash, Chief Justice of Madras HC Sanjay Vijaykumar Gangapurwala said, "Status quo to be continued." 

He also said that the information has been shared with advocates as well.

On Monday, Law Minister S Reghupathy met Chief Justice Sanjay Vijaykumar Gangapurwala and discussed with him about the "news" that Ambedkar's portraits should be removed from courts. 

An official release from Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) said, "The Law Minister conveyed to the CJ, Tamil Nadu government's stand that Ambedkar's portrait should not be removed, through a letter."

The reported decision to limit courtroom paintings to those of Mahatma Gandhi and Tamil saint-poet Thiruvalluvar prompted a protest from a group of advocates.

Political party leaders also raised concern over such a move.

The HC registry on July 7 issued a circular to inform that the portraits of leaders other than Mahatma Gandhi and poet Thiruvalluvar will not be permitted for display on court campuses.

On Sunday, Tamil Nadu BJP chief Annamalai said, "Dr BR Ambedkar is the Architect of our Constitution & the Honourable Court’s very purpose is to uphold constitutional values; hence we deem it a rightful place for the portrait of India’s first law minister Dr BR Ambedkar."

"On behalf of @BJP4TamilNadu, we request the Hon Chief Justice of the Madras High Court to consider our request & permit for display of Dr BR Ambedkar’s portraits in the court and court premises in Tamil Nadu," he said.