Remove folk dancers’ statues from Heritage Street: Capt

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday ordered the removal of statues of folk dancers from the Heritage Street that leads to the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

The CM directed the cultural affairs department to shift and relocate the statues to some other appropriate place in the city in view of the sentiments of the Sikh community which had taken exception to these.

He also asked the DGP to review the cases registered against the seven protesters who had vandalised the statues and withdraw the stringent sections of IPC against them, said an official release.

Amarinder, while ordering the removal of statues, said the actions of the youth were not malicious but a reflection of the pain felt by the Sikh community which felt hurt at the statues being located close to the precincts of the gurdwara. The statues depicting folk dances bhangra and giddha, installed during the previous SAD-BJP regime in October 2016, were vandalised by angry protesters on January 15.

The protesters were arrested for damaging public property and allegedly attacking a police team. A number of Sikh organisations, including Shiromani Ragi Sabha, Guru Hargobind Sahib Shiromani Dhadi Sabha and Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Committees, came out in support of the demand for removal of statues, besides seeking their release. Akal Takht acting jathedar Harpreet Singh also backed the demands. “It is better if the statues are replaced with that of Sikh warriors and martyrs,” he had said.

HE ALSO ASKED THE DGP TO REVIEW THE CASES REGISTERED AGAINST 7 PROTESTERS WHO HAD VANDALISED THE STATUES