Stan Swamy memorial: HC says can't stop statues coming up on pvt land

Govt says he was linked with 'Naxais and Maoists', memorial will cause law & order issues

- R SIVAKUMA R

HOLDING that government authorities cannot stop a person from erecting statues on a private land unless it may cause law and order issue between communities, the Madras High Court has permitted a Salembased activist to build a memorial for the late Father Stan Swamy who had rendered service for uplifting highly oppressed tribal communities in central India.

The state government, represented by an additional government pleader, had argued that Swamy was connected with "Naxals and Maoists" and erecting a memorial for him would cause law and order issues.

Setting aside the July 16, 2021, notice of the Nallampalli tahsildar stopping Piyush Sethi (Piyush Manush) from erecting a stone pillar with the picture of the priest, Justice M Dhandapani, in a recent order, granted permission for constructing the memorial structure at Nekkundi village in Nallampalli taluk in Dharmapuri district.