Supreme Court Dismisses Plea Against Construction of 134 Feet 'Pen' Statue in Memory of M Karunanidhi
The Supreme Court has rejected a plea challenging the construction of a 134 feet tall 'Pen' statue on Marina beach, Chennai, as a tribute to the late former Chief Minister and DMK leader M Karunanidhi. The bench, consisting of Justices SK Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia, dismissed the petition filed by the petitioner, Nallathami, and former fisheries Minister (AIADMK) Jayakumar, citing lack of merit.
The court granted the petitioner and the former minister the option to address their grievances to the relevant authorities. The petitioner had raised concerns about the environmental impact and the livelihood of fishermen due to the memorial's construction.
Senior Advocate P Wilson, representing the Tamil Nadu government, vehemently opposed the plea, stating that all necessary coastal regulation clearances had already been obtained. He reassured that there would be no adverse effects on the fishermen or the olive turtles.
Wilson further argued that the petition appeared to be politically motivated and lacked genuine public interest. He accused the AIADMK of instigating the plea, recalling their refusal to allocate burial ground for Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) during their tenure in 2018.
TAGS: Supreme Court plea dismissed 134 feet 'Pen' statue Marina beach Chennai M Karunanidhi DMK leader environmental concerns livelihood of fishermen coastal regulation clearance Tamil Nadu government Senior Advocate P Wilson AIADMK political motivation.
