Gandhi, Ambedkar, Shivaji statues not removed, moved to Parliament House complex: Lok Sabha Secretariat

New Delhi: After a furore broke out for removing the iconic statues of Mahatma Gandhi, BR Ambedkar and Chhatrapati Shivaji as part of a landscaping exercise, the Lok Sabha secretariat said that the statues were “respectfully” moved to be installed in a Prerana Sthal in the Parliament House Complex.

The move to relocate the statues drew sharp criticism from the Congress on Thursday. Later by evening, the LS Secretariat released a statement stating that after the construction of the new Parliament Building, an action plan was made for landscaping and beautification of the Parliament Complex to accord it with “high dignity and decorum”.

“In the Parliament Complex, statues of great leaders and freedom fighters of the country were installed at different parts of the Complex. These great leaders and freedom fighters have made significant contributions in the independence of our nation … Due to location at different places in the Parliament Complex, visitors were not able to view these statues conveniently. For this reason, all these statues are being respectfully installed in a grand Prerana Sthal in the Parliament House Complex itself,” the statement said.

This Prerana Sthal, the statement said, is being developed such that visitors to the Parliament Complex can easily see the statues. “In this Prerana Sthal, arrangements are also being made to provide detailed information to the visitors through modern technology regarding the lives and contributions of our great freedom fighters so that the people coming to visit them could get inspiration from their lives and thoughts,” the statement read.

The Secretariat said that the relocation took place with the permission of former Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.