Allahabad HC Dismisses PIL Objecting To King Nishadraj's Statue With Lord Rama In Prayagraj Citing Wrong Depiction

The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) plea seeking alterations to the statue of King Nishad Raj & Lord Shri Ram, situated at Sringverpur Dham in Soraon, Prayagraj. The plea sought to depict King Nishadraj in a manner befitting a king.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Donadi Ramesh opined that the issue in the PIL plea cannot be decided in the present proceedings as the matter falls in the domain of the Executive.

The Court further noted that it was not satisfied that any constitutional right of the petitioner or members of his community had been violated. While dismissing the PIL plea, the Court granted liberty to avail such other remedy as may be advised.

Essentially, the PIL plea, filed by one Sanjay Kumar Nishad, asserted that the statue is not according to the description of King Nishad Raj in Ramcharitmanas, scripted by Goswami Tulsidas.

For context, as per Ramcharitmanas, when lord Rama, along with his brother Lakshmana and wife Sita, spent a night in a village before embarking on their forest exile, they faced reluctance from the boatmen to ferry them across the Ganges.

At this point, King Nishadraj arrived at the scene and proposed to carry them across if Lord Rama allowed him to permit him to wash their feet. Lord Rama agreed, and Nishadraj washed Rama's feet with water from the Ganges, demonstrating his profound devotion by drinking the sacred water.

It was further averred in the writ plea that the statue is in a hugging position and the petitioner and members of his community want that necessary changes should be made in the statue as otherwise, it would be a violation of their constitutional right to worship.

Case title - Sanjay Kumar Nishad vs. State Of U.P. And 3 Others 2023 LiveLaw (AB) 487 [PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION (PIL) No. - 2805 of 2023]

Case citation: 2023 LiveLaw (AB) 487

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