Villagers clash with cops over Ambedkar statue installation
policemen, including a station house officer (SHO), suffered injuries in clash with some villagers over installation of a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar in Nagla Bhoodh Nagaria village under Sakroli police of Etah district on Monday morning.
Six villagers were also hurt in the clash. Meanwhile, police and PAC personnel have been deployed in the village to avoid any untoward incident.
“Locals in Nagla Bhoodh Nagaria village began installing the statue of Dr BR Ambedkar at about 8.30 am without any prior permission,” stated SSP Etah Satyarth Anirudh Pankaj.
“Two circle officers along with administrative officials reached the spot and sought a permission letter from those installing the statue but there was none. The villagers were adamant on installing the statue,” the SSP added.
“The villagers turned violent and pelted stones at the policemen injuring four of them including SHO, Sakroli police station, Deependra Kumar. Police retaliated to disperse the mob and light force was used to pacify the mob and to bring the situation under control,” the SSP said as he denied that any firing took place there.
“A case has been registered against 20 accused including Sukhbeer, Jyamanti, Gyan Singh, Vimla Devi, Santosh Kumar and Kishori Lal,” Pankaj added. “Two accused including Santosh Kumar and Kishori Lal have been arrested while search is on for other named and those to be identified in this connection,” the police officer told HT.
He added that the statue of Dr Ambedkar had been handed over to the head of a nearby village to keep it safely.
The locals claimed the land where the statue was being installed was marked as Ambedkar Park in records but officials denied it and asserted that no prior permission was sought for it.