Guj HC seeks reply from state government on Tushar Gandhi's PIL against Sabarmati Ashram redevelopment

Tushar Gandhi challenged the proposed Gandhi Ashram Memorial and Precinct Development Project on the grounds that it will change the physical structure of the ashram and corrupt its pristine simplicity and frugality that embodies the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi.The redevelopment should be carried out by the six trusts under the aegis of the National Gandhi Smarak Nidhi rather than the state and central governments, he demanded.

The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the state government on a petition filed by Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, challenging the proposed redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram here.

A division bench of Chief Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Ashutosh Shastri issued notices to the government and other respondents including various trusts, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation, seeking replies by July 5.

The High Court had earlier disposed of the Public Interest Litigation, after which Tushar Gandhi moved the Supreme Court, which asked the High Court to re-examine the plea. Tushar Gandhi challenged the proposed `Gandhi Ashram Memorial and Precinct Development Project' on the grounds that it will change the physical structure of the ashram and corrupt its pristine simplicity and frugality that embodies the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi.

The redevelopment should be carried out by the six trusts under the aegis of the 'National Gandhi Smarak Nidhi' rather than the state and central governments, he demanded. In its affidavit filed before the court, the state government maintained that the redeveloped premises will highlight Gandhian ethos of frugality and simplicity while recreating the Ashram as it originally stood.

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