Bandh in Jalandhar, Phagwara over Ambedkar statue vandalism

Protesters laid siege to key points on the Amritsar-Delhi national highway running through Jalandhar and Phagwara, prompting police to divert traffic. Road blockades till 5pm.

A total bandh was observed in Jalandhar district and Phagwara town in adjoining Kapurthala district on Tuesday to protest the attempt to vandalise a life-size statue of BR Ambedkar in Amritsar on Republic Day.

Members of Dalit organisations holding a protest in Phagwara during the shutdown on Tuesday.  (HT Photo)

Dalit organisations had called the bandh following which nearly 2,000 police personnel were deployed across Jalandhar district, including Kartarpur, Adampur and Bhogpur.

Protesters laid siege to key points on the Amritsar-Delhi national highway running through Jalandhar and Phagwara, prompting the police to divert traffic to alternate routes.

Jalandhar Rural SSP Harkamal Preet Singh Khakh and commissioner of police Swapan Sharma were taking rounds of their respective areas to ensure law and order.

All schools, colleges, private and government offices remained closed in Jalandhar district and Phagwara due to the protests. The protesters were allowing only emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, to ply.

Arun Sandhal, an activist of the Sant Kabir Tiger Force, said the protests and road blockades would continue till 5pm.

A video clip of the incident was widely circulated on social media, showing a man climbing atop the statue using a steel ladder and carrying a hammer. He is seen hitting the statue multiple times with the hammer. The man also caused damage to the Constitution book, which is part of the statue. He was later apprehended and handed over to police.

Describing the incident as unfortunate, Amritsar police commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said an FIR has been registered under relevant legal provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.