2 held for painting over CM’S name on plaque
GREATER NOIDA: Two persons were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly smearing black paint on Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s name on a plaque installed below a statue of ninth-century king Mihir Bhoj at a college in Dadri. Police said they have registered a case against 150 unknown persons for the incident.
Adityanath unveiled the 15-foot statue of the king on September 22.
Police identified the arrested suspects as Deepak Nagar, 32, and Vikrant, 30, residents of Ecotech 3 in Greater Noida.
A group of people gathered at the Mihir Bhoj statue on Tuesday and painted over the name, police said, adding that a video of the incident emerged on social media.
“We scanned the video and arrested two persons involved in the incident. We have launched a search to arrest other suspects,” said Pradeep Tripathi, station house officer of Dadri police station.
The statue has been the centre of a controversy since its inauguration at the Mihir Bhoj PG College in Dadri. The Gurjar community has been protesting against the removal of their caste’s name from the plaque installed below the statue. The community leaders maintain that the king belonged to the Gurjar community.
The Rajput community has also claimed that the ninth-century king belonged to their caste.
Ramchandra Verma, secretary of Gurjar Vidya Sabha, a trust which manages the Dadri college, on Tuesday filed a complaint against unknown persons after the incident.
Vishal Pandey, additional deputy commissioner of police,
Greater Noida, said based on the complaint, Dadri police registered a case against 150 unknown persons under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 153 (deliberately giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 427 (mischief) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.
The officials said that police personnel have been deployed at the Dadri college after the incident.
The incident took place soon after Rajya Sabha MP Surendra Nagar visited the statue and offered tributes to the ninthcentury king. “The word ‘Gurjar’ was never removed from the plaque. Some members of opposition parties are creating trouble,” said Nagar, a leader of Bharatiya Janata Party.
Tanmay Shankar, media in-charge, Noida unit of BJP, alleged that the people involved in blackening the plaque were associated with Samajwadi Party.
“The Samajwadi Party has lost ground in Gautam Budh Nagar. All the three MLAS in the district belong to BJP. The opposition party is trying to create a divide between Gurjar and Rajput communities for an electoral dividend,” Shankar said.
Denying the allegations, Inder Pradhan, GB Nagar district president of Samajwadi Party, and a member of Gurjar Swabhiman Bachao Samiti, said that there were a number of people at the spot when the incident took place.
“The members of BJP were also at the spot, and it is not clear who damaged the plaque. The Samiti has called a meeting in Greater Noida on October 2 to decide the next move,” he said.