2 Ambedkar statues found desecrated in UP districts
ALLAHABAD/SIDDHARTNAGAR/LUCKNOW: Statues of Dalit icon BR Ambedkar were found desecrated at Allahabad’s Trivenipuram locality and Siddhartnagar’s Gohaniya village here on Saturday morning.
The incidents triggered protests by locals, who demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.
In Lucknow, the chief minister’s office said the incidents were serious and Yogi Adityanath has already issued instructions to district magistrates and district police chiefs to ensure that action is taken against miscreants and damaged statues are replaced immediately.
“Take tough action against those responsible for the vandalism of statues and make all possible efforts to maintain communal harmony,” the CM office quoted Yogi Adityanath.
The CM also urged public representatives and prominent citizens
in the districts to help maintain peace in their respective localities. In Allahabad, police said the head of Ambedkar’s statue at a park in Trivenipuram was found detached from the bust, early in the morning.
While the police are yet to get any clue of those responsible for the vandalism, they suspect the incident took place late on Friday night.
Enraged BSP and SP workers led by newly-elected Phulpur MP Nagendra Singh Patel staged a demonstration in the park itself. They demanded action against the culprits besides immediate installation of a new statue. Patel alleged that the BJP was politicising Ambedkar by re-naming him but had failed in ensuring security of his statues in the state.
Later, SP workers also staged a demonstration at Subhash Crossing in Civil Lines.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Allahabad, Akash Kulhary urged the enraged workers to maintain peace.
“We are trying to locate the suspects,” he said while denying any tension in the area following the incident. He said a case was being registered and strict action will be taken against culprits, once they are identified.
He also gave instructions for installation of a new statue by evening which was underway when last reports came in.
Protests also erupted in Gohaniya village of Siddharthnagar after news of statue desecration spread in the area.
Manoj Gutam founder Dr Ambedkar Navyuvak Samiti, which had established the statue on April 14 last year, informed the police and the SDM after he noticed the broken right hand of the statue.
“It seems that taking advantage of darkness some miscreants broke the statue on Friday night. We have given complaint to the police and demanded strict action against offenders,” Gautam said.
“The statue is being replaced and a case has been lodged against unidentified persons,” Superintendent of Police D ha ram vi rs aid. Do mariya ganjM LA, Raghvendra Pratap Singh, who rushed to the village soon after the incident, alleged that it was a conspiracy hatched by the Samajwadi Party and the BSP and the culprits will not be spared.
The chief minister is scheduled to visit the district on April 2.
PROTESTS ALSO ERUPTED IN GOHANIYA VILLAGE OF SIDDHARTHNAGAR AFTER NEWS OF STATUE DESECRATION SPREAD IN THE AREA.