M A I N   N E W S

No more statues in Parliament

New Delhi, April 4
A decision has been taken to disallow further installation of statues and portraits in Parliament to maintain its neat and spacious look. A high-powered committee of Parliament headed by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has recommended that no more statues could be installed in Parliament in future holding the view that it is already over-crowded with high-profiled figures.

The Committee on Installation of Portraits, Statues of National Leaders and Parliamentarians in Parliament House Complex, has in its recently held meeting took the stand for “no more statues in Parliament House”.

However, there is a caveat. The permission for the same could be given in rare cases, but then such proposals would have to be sent to the Heritage Committee of Parliament for its approval.

This committee also comes under the jurisdiction of the Speaker and is responsible for maintaining the heritage character of Parliament.

Sources in the Speaker’s office said it was decided to involve the heritage committee in the whole process because it looked after the structure of Parliament.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, senior BJP leader LK Advani and CPM leader Sitaram Yechury were also present in the meeting, and they were of the opinion that the Parliament House was over-crowded with statues, a source told PTI.

The committee decided in the meeting that only a symbolic unveiling of the portraits would be allowed and after that the portrait would be handed over to the Parliament library.

It was a long pending demand from many quarters.

Former Speaker PA Sangma had also supported the idea but due to some political constraints, could not proceed further, the sources said.