Judicial activism on Statues causing road accidents draws political flak

Hyderabad: Judicial activism has come to rescue of common man and motorists s of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh who were victims of ugly and horrendous road accidents due to bad visibility caused by statues of political leaders, Flexis and hoardings at major junctions and highways .

The High court in its order to both AP and Telangana governments in the public interest litigation expressed displeasure over the spread of unauthorized cutouts, flexis, banners and statues of former prime ministers, chief ministers, ministers in the middle of roads obstructing view and free traffic.

Expressing concern over the tacit silence of the authorities the High Court bench directed the advocates general of AP and Telangana, to implement the order.

Following spiraling road accidents at the rate of 30-50 per day in Andhra Pradesh and over 75 in Telangana highways and trunk ways there has been a drive to remove the obstacles on court directions. But the recent order of AP govt has raked up a political storm.YSRC and congress are blaming government of campaign to eliminate the national party leaders images including that of YSR, the strong man of YSRC Party led by Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.

It has rattled the YSR Congress Party which believes that the order is deliberately timed and aimed at elimination of the statues of late Chief Minister YS Chandrasekhar Reddy in a sort of political vendetta .However the TDP alleges that the YSRC has not taken prior permission there by making the YSR statues liable for violation.

The Govt order says that if the statues are of national leaders, they could be shifted to government offices or nearby town halls. "The chief secretary after receiving the high court order on 3 February has requested more time to take action," says Parakala Prabhakar, adviser to AP government

TDP government on Friday directed district authorities to remove statues, flexis and banners of all political personalities which were a obstacle on key road junction sand were occupying roads and key locations on the highways and man public spaces within 15 days..

AP CM Chandrababu Naidu had instructed the district authorities that if any national leaders statue was in unwanted location, it should also be moved to public parks, and compounds of the district offices

YSR Congress party spokesperson Ambati Rambabu on Sunday warned the TDP government not to toy with the idea of shifting or removing their late leader’s statues. “We will resist any move by the authorities to remove YSR statue we dare them to touch the statues,” Rambabu said adding that it was Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu who had become a backstabber and turned NT Rama Rao nto a statue.

The YSRCP has erected numerous statues of YSR after his tragic death five years ago in a helicopter crash. YSR’s son and Party president Jaganmohan Reddy, his mother Vijayamma and sister Sharmila unveiled hundreds of statues of Dr YSR during the “Odarpu Yatra” that they undertook to console those died grieving the death of their leader. According to a rough estimate there were about 2000 statues of YSR . After TRS came to power, the YSR statues have silently eclipsed in district towns though only a few are assailable in the state capital.