The group plans to submit the signatures to the Chief Justice of the HC with a request to have a statue of Dr Ambedkar installed on the campus. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)A group of lawyers in Gujarat have started a campaign to raise a demand to have a statue of Dr B R Ambedkar installed on the campus of Gujarat High Court.In this regard, the group led by lawyer Ratna Vora has started collecting signatures of various lawyers. The group plans to submit the signatures to the Chief Justice of the HC with a request to have a statue of Dr Ambedkar installed on the campus.Speaking with The Indian Express, Vora said: “Dr Ambedkar was such a knowledgeable person whose statue has been installed at so many places in India and abroad… A statue (of Ambedkar) was even installed on the campus of Supreme Court of India on November 26, 2023, and unveiled by President Droupadi Murmu in the presence of then Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud. So, I thought why can’t we have a statue of Dr Ambedkar on the campus of Gujarat High Court.”She said: “Along with like-minded lawyer friends, I have started a signature campaign in support of the demand. And the campaign has spread widely on social media and we are getting a very good response from lawyers from various parts of the state.”Vora said that the group is carrying out the campaign under the banner of SC/ST/OBC/Minority & Like-Minded Advocates Association, which they plan to register as well. As part of the campaign, the lawyers also held a meeting at Ahmedabad Circuit House earlier this month on August 8. Vora said that so far, she has received encouraging responses from various noted lawyers of the state.“I think the presence of Dr Ambedkar’s statue will serve as a symbol of hope, justice, and empowerment, especially for the downtrodden and marginalised sections of society. It will also inspire all members of the Bar and Bench to uphold constitutional values in everyday practice,” she said.The campaign is being supported by lawyer Paresh Vaghela, who is also a member of the Bar Council of Gujarat.Story continues below this adVaghela said, “We believe that Dr Ambedkar is a leader of all (communities). He framed the Constitution and we believe that his statue should be there on the campus of Gujarat High Court. Nobody should have any objection to the demand.”Vaghela said they are going to garner support of various bar associations and Bar Council of Gujarat as well before submitting the joint representation to the Chief Justice of HC.Currently, Gujarat HC has a statue of Mahatma Gandhi on its campus which was unveiled on January 26, 2011.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Ambedkar statueGujarat