Bombay High Court Seeks Maharashtra Govt Reply On Malegaon Deputy Mayor's Plea Challenging Direction To Remove Tipu Sultan Portrait
The Deputy Mayor of Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC) has approached the Bombay High Court challenging the communications issued by the Maharashtra Police asking her to remove the portrait of Tipu Sultan, which she has displayed in her office along with 11 national leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Shivaji Maharaj, Subhash Chandra Bose and several others. A division bench...
The Deputy Mayor of Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC) has approached the Bombay High Court challenging the communications issued by the Maharashtra Police asking her to remove the portrait of Tipu Sultan, which she has displayed in her office along with 11 national leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Shivaji Maharaj, Subhash Chandra Bose and several others.
A division bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna has ordered the Maharashtra Government to file its reply to the petition filed by Shaan e Hind Nihal Ahmed (41), the Deputy Mayor of MMC.
According to the plea filed through senior advocate MM Vashi, the petitioner, who is from Samajwadi Party (SP) has displayed photos of at least 12 national leaders - Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Gandhi, Rani Laxmibai, Tipu Sultan, Subhash Chandra Bose, Fatima Shaikh, Savitribai Phule, Dr BR Ambedkar, Abdul Kalam Azad, Bhagat Singh, Jyotiba Phule and Shahu Maharaj.
The plea states that the Leader of Opposition Party (LoP) of the MMC - Nilesh Kakade, who belongs to the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) had complained about her displaying Tipu Sultan's portrait in her office within the MMC building premises. A circular issued way back in September 1965 was also issued to Ahmed clarifying to her that only portraits of national leaders could be displayed in official premises.
However, Vashi argued before the court that the circulars and Government Resolutions (GRs) relied upon by the respondents do not name several of the leaders such as Abdul Kalam Azad, Fatima Shaikh and even Bhagat Singh.
"Yet they are only objecting to the portrait of Tipu Sultan. I have no agenda or motive here... Even the district court in Nashik has the portrait of Tipu Sultan no action is taken there but here they object to me displaying the portrait in my office despite several others, whose names do not appear in the list of national leaders as given by them," the senior counsel argued.
The plea was objected to by assistant government pleader BV Samant, however, the bench asked the State to file its reply within a period of 3 weeks and has accordingly adjourned the matter.
Case Title: Shaan-E-Hind Nihal Ahmed vs State of Maharashtra