The Bombay High Court on Thursday (September 17, 2026) asked the Maharashtra government to file a reply to a petition by Deputy Mayor of Malegaon Municipal Corporation Shaan e Hind Nihal Ahmed against communications from the Maharashtra Police to remove a portrait of Tipu Sultan from her office.

A Bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna heard the petition and adjourned the matter, granting the State time to file its reply.

The petition states that Ms. Ahmed, of the Samajwadi Party, displayed portraits of several national leaders in her office, including those of Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Gandhi, Rani Laxmibai, Tipu Sultan, Subhash Chandra Bose, Fatima Shaikh, Savitribai Phule, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Abdul Kalam Azad, Bhagat Singh, Jyotiba Phule and Shahu Maharaj.

Nilesh Kakade, the Leader of the Opposition Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) party in the Malegaon Municipal Corporation, complained about the particular portrait of Tipu Sultan in the office building of the corporation, the petition states.

The petition refers to a circular from September 1965 and Government Resolutions which says that portraits of leaders of the country could be displayed in premises of the government, according to the petition.

Ms. Ahmed moved the court through counsel M.M. Vashi, who argued that the circulars and Government Resolutions cited by the respondents do not name figures such as Abdul Kalam Azad, Fatima Shaikh and Bhagat Singh. He said the respondents object only to the portrait of Tipu Sultan.

Mr. Vashi further said the court in Nashik has a portrait of Tipu Sultan and no action has been taken.