Nagpur tense over descration of Gandhi statue

The Vinoba Bhave Nagar locality in north Nagpur witnessed some tense moments after a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was found desecrated by unknown miscreants on Friday morning.

The Vinoba Bhave Nagar locality in north Nagpur witnessed some tense moments after a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was found desecrated by unknown miscreants on Friday morning.

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According to the city police, a Vinoba Bhave Nagar resident, who was on his routine morning walk, found Gandhi statue defaced. He immediately informed the locals and a large crowd gathered in no time.

The crowd shouted slogans against those who defaced the statue and demanded an immediate action against the miscreants who committed the crime.

It was said that the miscreants damaged left hand of the statue while the spectacles were missing from the bust. It was suspected that the statue was vandalised at night and came to fore on Friday morning.

The agitated locals also blocked the busy Kamptee-Nagpur road for a few hours this morning in protest against the incident. Besides, one Madhukar Dhopatkar of Gandhi Vichar Manch staged an indefinite dharna near the statue in protest against the incident and action of the miscreants.

The news spread as wildfire in the city and the Maharashtra minister for employment, Nitin Raut, and the city mayor, Archana Dehankar, visited the spot and tried to pacify the crowd.

The police, including senior officials also rushed to the spot and tried to bring the situation under control. Tempers ran high and there were moments when police were struggling to maintain the law and order.

The residents even pelted stones at the police that led to a mild lath charge against the mob by the security forces. The mob dispersed only after the police promised swift action to hunt down the miscreant.

"Now the situation is totally under control," claimed S Darade, the deputy commissioner of north Nagpur division.

No one was arrested in this regard so far, the city police said.