Jolt to VIP as UP police refuse to allow installation of Phoolan’s Devi’s statue

In a jolt to Vikasheel Insaaf Party’s (VIP) plan to install bandit queen-cum-MP late

In a jolt to Vikasheel Insaaf Party’s (VIP) plan to install bandit queen-cum-MP late Phoolan Devi’s statue at different places in election-bound Uttar Pradesh, the UP police on Friday seized the statues at Varanasi and Mirzapur and did not allow the party to hold its proposed meeting on her death anniversary on July 25, HT has learnt.

Mukesh Sahni, who had earlier announced that his party will contest on at least 165 assembly seats in UP, said he intends to take forward Phoolan Devi’s dreams. (HT photo)

A letter issued by Varanasi police commissioner A Satish Ganesh to VIP president-cum-animal husbandry minister of Bihar, Mukesh Sahni, cited the order issued by the UP government in 2008 whereby “a top-level permission” is required to establish the statue of any religious, political, or statesman, even on private lands.

“You are organizing a programme in violation of the order which is objectionable,” the letter stated.

It further said that the programme violates Covid-19 protocols and people have objected to the installation of the statue near Sujabad Shiv temple in Varanasi.

People privy to the development in the VIP said that the SDM Varanasi had permitted to hold the programme by following Covid-19 norms and the party had sent detailed information to the UP-chief secretary about the programmes.

“This is not right. The situation could have been avoided. But this doesn’t deter us from installing the statues for which we will proceed as per the rules of the state. In UP, the BJP government is in power, and we are friends in Bihar,” said Mukesh Sahni, hinting not to enter into confrontation with the UP government.

The minister said that the programmes in UP will be held as per schedule but now there won’t be any public meeting.

“Phoolan Devi is still alive in our thoughts for her struggles for the pride and prestige of mothers and sisters. We are celebrating July 25 as her martyrdom day from Bihar to UP and for this, we are going to install 18 idols of Phoolan Devi in UP and some in Bihar,” said Sahni, explaining the context of the exercise.

The VIP, led by Bihar’s animal husbandry minister Mukesh Sahni, has got 18 such statues of 18-feet height built.

With an eye on capturing votes of the Nishad community in the run-up to the UP assembly election in 2022, the VIP decided to install the statue of late MP Phoolan Devi in 18 divisions of Uttar Pradesh.

Late Phoolan Devi’s bandit faction mostly comprised members from the Mallah community. The Mallahs (boatmen) caste, popularly known as Nishads, and other sub-castes in the Other Backward Communities (OBC) in UP constitute 14% of the state’s population.

Bandit-turned-politician, Phoolan Devi was also popular as a female rights activist who took to a life of crime and banditry after enduring poverty, child marriage, subjugation and abusive marriage. She was convicted on multiple charges but was later released in 1994 as then ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, led by former chief minister Mulayam Singh, withdrew all charges against her. She contested the Lok Sabha polls on SP ticket and was elected an MP twice from Mirzapur. She was assassinated on July 25, 2001.