The Allahabad High Court urged an amicable resolution over Dr. B. R. Ambedkar statue installation in Bareilly, directing the District Magistrate to form a committee, ensure religious harmony, allocate alternate land if needed, and submit a report within six weeks.
PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad High Court has urged an amicable settlement over the unauthorised installation of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s statue at a Dev Sthan in Bareilly. Justice Arun Kumar directed the District Magistrate to form a committee of responsible officers to engage with the factions of Gangapur village and ensure religious activities at the site are not disrupted.
The Court further stated that villagers wishing to install Dr. Ambedkar’s statue may be allotted a suitable spot either within the same area or on another Gaon Sabha plot in the village.
The Court ordered,
“The District Magistrate, Bareilly shall carry out the said exercise within six weeks from today and submit his report to this Court through an affidavit of a responsible officer in the present petition,”
The matter arose from a petition seeking removal of an encroachment on land registered as Dev Sthan in revenue records.
According to the State, certain villagers erected a platform at the site in April 2025 to place a photograph of Dr. Ambedkar. Although the photograph was later removed, a statue was installed on the platform months afterwards, triggering a deterioration of law and order and leading to two FIRs by opposing village factions.
The Court observed that there are clearly two groups in the village: one that wishes to conduct religious activities on the plot and another that installed the statue without legal authority.
The Bench said,
“There is no dispute of the fact that the plot in question is the land belonging to Gaon Sabha, which continues to be recorded as Dev Sthan, meant for carrying out religious activities by the villagers. According to the instructions given by the Deputy District Magistrate, the installation of statue has been made without any authority of law. There is nothing on record to show that the Land Management Committee had ever resolved to allocate the said land for installation of the statue of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar,”
The Court added that because both the religious activities and the statue’s installation touch upon the sentiments of different village groups, any forceful action against either side could provoke unrest and further law-and-order issues.
Accordingly, district authorities were asked to seek an amicable resolution. The case is scheduled for further hearing on May 11.
Advocates Pradeep Saxena and Ram Naresh Maurya represented the petitioners, while Advocate Sher Bahadur appeared for a respondent.
Case Title: Bhagirath And Another v State of UP and 4 Others.
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