President of India Droupadi Murmu unveiled a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar at the Supreme Court on Sunday, November 26. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, and several judges from the Supreme Court were also present during the unveiling ceremony on the National Constitution Day. After the unveiling ceremony, saplings were planted by the President and the CJI.
The seven-foot-tall statue is made of metal and installed on the front lawns of the Supreme Court. It features Dr Ambedkar in a lawyer's gown and a copy of the Constitution in his hand.
According to Bar and Bench, a group of lawyers who identify with the Ambedkarite movement requested a statue of Dr Ambedkar be installed in the Supreme Court. They had written a letter to the CJI in December 2022 asking for the statue on the lawns of the Supreme Court. Reports said that the Supreme Court Arguing Counsel Association (SCACA) had also made a similar request in September 2023.
November 26 has been observed as National Constitution Day since 2015 to mark the day the Indian Constitution was adopted by the Assembly in 1949. Earlier, it was celebrated as Law Day.