Clash erupts after Sardar Patel’s statue vandalised in MP village: Police

People pelted stones and used canes, many shops were vandalised, and vehicles were set on fire in the area, said police, adding that a sub-inspector, Lalchand Sharma, and some locals have been injured

Updated on: Jan 25, 2024, 14:20:14 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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Bhopal: A statue of India’s first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was found desecrated in a village in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain district, police said.

People pelted stones at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel statue (Twitter Photo)

The statue, police said, was installed on Wednesday night by the members of the Patidar community in Makdon village, who have been demanding it for a while. However, a section of scheduled caste (SC) members and workers of Bhim Army allegedly vandalised the statue on Thursday morning, said Nitesh Bhargava, additional superintendent of police (ASP), Ujjain.

According to the people aware of the matter, while the Patidar community has been demanding a Sardar Patel statue, the Bhim Army wanted a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar to be installed at a public square.

Following the incident of vandalism, the two groups clashed on Thursday, police said

People pelted stones and used canes, many shops were vandalised, and vehicles were set on fire in the area, said police, adding that a sub-inspector, Lalchand Sharma, and some locals have been injured.

Following the incidents of the clash, heavy police force has been deployed in the area, ASP Bhargava said, adding that Makdon town inspector Bhim Singh Deora has been suspended.

Police are investigating the matter. Cases are being registered against the persons in connection with the incident, the ASP added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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