Two groups of lawyers have come against one another over a statue of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar at the Gwalior bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. For the last month, parking protests and sit-in agitations have continued inside the premises, but the dispute took another turn this week when a group of lawyers allegedly tried to block the side of the statue by hosting the national flag.

The Dispute

According to a set of lawyers, applications to have a statue of Ambedkar installed within the premises of the High Court were sent in February, after which a committee was set up to examine the request. The committee allowed for the statue. Soon, the local Public Works department was enlisted and the sculptor was also paid ₹2 lakh to erect the statue.

However, objections to the move allegedly forced the committee to review its decision in a letter dated April 21, the registrar has commented, “Since the statue of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, who is the maker of the Indian constitution, has already been installed in the Supreme Court of India, therefore, if a few advocates are opposing, we should ignore the same and work to be completed accordingly,”

However, another set of lawyers allegedly began objecting and refusing to pay for the statue, which was scheduled to be installed on 17th May.

Marking the Constitution Day on November 26, 2023, the President of India unveiled a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar at the Supreme Court in New Delhi.