Today, on October 7th, the civic authorities informed the Delhi High Court that the installation of a statue of freedom fighter Maharani Lakshmi Bai at Shahi Idgah Park in Sadar Bazar will not infringe upon the rights of individuals offering prayers. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has completed the statue’s installation. The court received assurances regarding the protection of prayer rights in the park.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court was informed by civic authorities that the installation of Maharani Lakshmi Bai‘s statue at Shahi Idgah Park in Sadar Bazar will not infringe upon the rights of those offering prayers. The statue, installed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), had sparked a plea by the Shahi Idgah Managing Committee challenging its placement.
However, a bench comprising Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela disposed of the petition after both parties reached a mutual resolution, resolving the matter peacefully. The committee had earlier contested a single judge’s refusal to halt the statue’s installation.
During the hearing, the counsel for the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) assured the court that the installation of Maharani Lakshmi Bai’s statue, along with the adjoining boundary wall, had not affected the rights of individuals offering prayers at the site. After considering these submissions, the bench recorded the statements and dismissed the appeal, resolving the matter.
The Bench noted:
“The counsel for DDA and MCD state that the appeal has become infructuous as the statue of Maharani Lakshmi Bai has been installed at one corner of the Idgah Park, owned by DDA, and that too after construction of a boundary wall. They clarified that the right of the appellant to offer prayers and perform prayers is not endangered in any manner by the installation of the statue or the boundary wall,”
The appellant’s counsel informed the bench that the mistrust between the parties had been resolved. Earlier, the Delhi High Court had questioned the opposition to the MCD’s installation of Maharani Lakshmi Bai’s statue, emphasizing that it did not want the issue to become an unnecessary “flashpoint.”
The court highlighted that Rani Lakshmi Bai was not a religious figure but a national hero, urging that history should not be divided by communal politics. It also criticized the Idgah Managing Committee for making “scandalous pleadings” in its petition.
The court expressed strong disapproval of certain “divisive” paragraphs in the appeal targeting the single judge.
The Idgah Committee’s petition, which sought to prevent civic authorities from encroaching on the Shahi Idgah—claimed to be Waqf property—was previously rejected by a single judge. The committee referenced a 1970 gazette notification stating that Shahi Idgah Park, an ancient Mughal-era property, is used for offering namaz and can accommodate up to 50,000 worshippers.
However, the single judge ruled that the committee had no legal grounds to oppose the DDA’s maintenance of the park or the MCD’s installation of the statue.