Bandh in Parbhani to protest vandalism of Constitution replica turns violent

Protesters set vehicles ablaze and pelted stones at shops, prompting the police to deploy tear gas. Authorities also imposed prohibitory orders

Mumbai: Over 40 people have been detained after violence erupted in the Parbhani district of Maharashtra’s Marathwada region on Wednesday during a bandh called to protest the vandalism of a replica of the Constitution placed near a statue of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Parbhani: A structure set on fire during protests which continued for the second day over alleged vandalising of a replica of the Indian Constitution, in Parbhani, Maharashtra, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. The stone replica of the Constitution outside Parbhani railway station, set in front of a statue of Dr B R Ambedkar, was found to have been damaged on Tuesday, sparking protests. (PTI Photo) (PTI12_11_2024_000224B) (PTI)

Protesters set vehicles ablaze and pelted stones at shops, prompting the police to deploy tear gas. Authorities also imposed prohibitory orders under section 163 of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and called in two platoons of the state reserve police force as a precaution, even as the situation was brought under control in a few hours, officials said.

The unrest began Tuesday evening when Sopan Pawar, a resident of Murtizapur village in the Parbhani tehsil, allegedly vandalised a cement replica of the Constitution kept in a glass box at the base of Ambedkar’s statue near the collector’s office. Local activists apprehended Pawar and handed him over to the police.

The incident led to an uproar, as protestors blocked roads and vandalised a few vehicles on Tuesday evening, which led to authorities calling for a bandh on Wednesday. While the bandh remained largely peaceful until Wednesday noon, violence broke out around 1 pm, when a mob began pelting stones at shops and setting vehicles and PVC pipes outside shops on fire. The mob damaged over 15 vehicles, including trucks, four-wheelers, and two-wheelers.

While the police responded with tear gas to disperse the crowd, district magistrate Raghunath Gawade subsequently imposed section 163 of the BNSS to prohibit public gatherings, suspended internet services, and convened a meeting with political parties and social organisations to discuss peace-restoration measures. However, a crowd of over 50 women activists then barged into the district collector’s office and vandalised it.

Shahaji Umap, deputy inspector general of the Nanded region, reached Parbhani on Wednesday and reviewed the situation. Addressing the media in the evening, he said the police have detained over 40 people in connection with the violence so far. He added that the process to file cases against the accused has started.

Vijay Wakode, vice president of Republican Sena led by Anandraj Ambedkar, accused the police of trying to cover up the matter by declaring the accused, Pawar, as a mentally unstable person. “It’s the job of doctors to check these things and certify them. Why are the police giving this certificate? People were angry with this approach to cover up the matter. Some of them used this unrest to spread violence. We have appealed to people to restore peace in the city,” Wakode said.

“As our activists caught him and took him to the police station, we think he is not mentally unstable. Someone has sent him to spread the unrest. The police should find out who it is through a narco analysis test. We also demanded to take him in police custody for interrogation as he has been sent to a civil hospital,” he added.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Raghunath Gawade, district magistrate of Parbhani, said that the situation is under control now, and two extra platoons of the state reserve police force (SRPF) had been called in as a precaution.

“Prima facie, the accused was drunk and also appeared mentally unstable, but doctors in the civil hospital are conducting medical tests,” said Gawade. “Today, we have issued prohibitory orders and also held a meeting with all organisations to restore peace. Some organisations have demanded conducting a Narco analysis test. Whether it was a conspiracy or not is a part of the investigation.” he added.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar blamed the delay in action by district authorities for the violence during a bandh. “After the incident, the police and the administration were expected to take immediate action. But a delay from the authorities led to this violence. The government should ensure strict action in the case of vandalisation of replicas of the Constitution, and no one would be spared. On the other hand, people should also maintain peace and cooperate with police and administration,” said Wadettiwar.

Parbhani MP Sanjay Jadhav from Shiv Sena (UBT) also slammed the administration for not handling the situation properly and urged people to maintain peace. “I condemn the incident of vandalising the replica of the Constitution and request the people to maintain peace. The administration should have issued prohibitory orders on Tuesday itself, but it did not happen and led to today’s violence,” he said.

BJP leader Girish Mahajan urged the people of Parbhani to maintain peace. “The accused is mentally unstable, and the people of Parbhani know it. The police have arrested him and are taking strict action, so people should maintain peace and communal harmony,” said Mahajan.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar warned of consequences if the miscreants who vandalised the Constitution replica are not arrested in the next 24 hours. “It is not the first time such vandalism of Babasaheb’s statue or a symbol of Dalit identity has happened. I request everyone to maintain law and order. If all the miscreants are not arrested within the next 24 hours, consequences will follow,” said Ambedkar in a post on X.

Union minister of state Ramdas Athawale also condemned the incident. “The vandalism of a replica of the Constitution will not be tolerated. I request all the people in Parbhani to maintain peace,” he said.