CM likely to unveil Sivaji Ganesan’s statue at a new spot in Tiruchi

The statue of Sivaji Ganesan being removed from Palakkarai in Tiruchi on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: M. MOORTHY

Days after Minister for Municipal Administration K.N. Nehru told the State Assembly that steps would be taken to unveil a statue of late actor Sivaji Ganesan, the Tiruchi Corporation passed a unanimous resolution to install it on Williams Road-Warners Road junction in the city.

According to sources, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who is slated to visit Tiruchi on May 8, is likely to unveil the statue. Steps have been taken to install the statute at the new location. If that happens, the 14-year wait of the ardent fans of Sivaji Ganesan will come to an end.

Hours after the Corporation passed the resolution, the nine-foot-tall bronze statue, which was installed in 2011 by Sivaji’s fans with crowdfunding at the roundabout of Palakarai, was removed to relocate it at the new spot. A group of workers with the help of an earthmover lifted the statue without causing any damage to it. The statue was kept covered at the Palakarai roundabout by citing a Supreme Court ruling in 2013 that prevented the unveiling of the statue at the location.

Citing a judgment of the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on a writ petition filed by A. Mohan Balaji of Tiruchi to unveil the statue, a resolution said that the Court had allowed to hand over the statue to organisers or to relocate to any tourist attracted important location. Based on it, the statue could be installed on Williams Road-Warners Road junction without disturbing the traffic.

Mayor M. Anbazhagan told The Hindu that the resolution would be sent to the State government through the Tiruchi Collector seeking his permission. The State government would issue an order to that effect soon, he said.