Video of statue desecration sparks clash

3 members of Bhim Sena arrested

SURAT

MEMBERS OF A Dalit organisation and vegetable vendors, mostly from Uttar Pradesh, clashed on Sunday evening in Bhatar area of Surat after a video of a B R Ambedkar statue being desecrated went viral. This is the second incident of violence over the video since Saturday, when a state transport bus was torched by the protesters in the city.

Three members of Bhim Sena were arrested on Monday in connection with the Bhatar clash, even as police intensified patrolling in the area.

Accordingtowitnesses,members of the group, armed with woodensticksshouting‘jaybhim’ attacked 10 vendors and overturned their carts late on Sunday aftertheycametoknowthatthey belonged to Uttar Pradesh.

One of the victims, Sureshkumar Patel from Pratapgarh in UP, told The Indian Express: “There were around 25 youths, all residents of nearby societies. They first came to my cart and inquired if I am from UP. When I said yes, they started beating me with wooden sticks and told me and the others that ‘your people have slapped our leader B R Ambedkar’s statue and we will not tolerate it. Go back to UP and don’t keep your cart here again’. Similarly, they targeted nine other vendors and beat them and damaged their carts.”

Sureshkumar added that six of them suffered injuries. “We are afraid of them, but now Surat police have deployed policemen at the spot,” he said.

According to the police, the video was from Jharkhand.

Patrolling has been intensified in Udhna, Limbayat, Pandesara and Sachin — where a large number of people hailing from different districts in UP stay and work.

Khatodara police inspector R R Ahir said, “We have arrested three youths. We are trying to identify the others... The accused were chanting Jay Bhim as they attacked the vendors.”

A few days ago, a video of a man purportedly slapping a statue of Ambedkar went viral on Whatsapp groups in Surat.