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Protest erupts in Kalaburagi after shoe found on Ambedkar statue
The tense atmosphere eased after the city DCP Kanika Sikriwal visited the village, cleaned the statue, and garlanded it
Bengaluru: Various dalit organisations in Kalaburagi protested against the alleged desecration of Bhim Rao Ambedkar’s statue in Kotnur village, located on the outskirts of the city.
Late on Monday, some miscreants put a shoe on Ambedkar’s statue which led to a widespread outrage. The protesters demanded stringent action against the accused.
Expressing their anger over the act, the protesters disrupted the vehicular traffic for over five hours. They resorted to burning tires and vandalizing a fuel station owned by a Bharatiya Janata Party MLC. The unrest spilled into Kalaburagi city, where demonstrators threw stones at a goods vehicle near Jagat Circle and forcibly shut down shops. The agitated mob also blocked the vehicle of DCP, demanding immediate arrest of the accused.
The tense atmosphere eased after the city DCP Kanika Sikriwal visited the village, cleaned the statue, and garlanded it. The police assured the public that they have initiated an investigation to identify and arrest the miscreants.
“We have registered a case under Section 295 (defiling a place of worship with intent to insult) of the Indian Penl Code and sections of Prevention of SC/ST Act,” said the DCP. “The situation is now under control, and we reduced the security during the day, but night patrols will be increased. We have definite leads about the miscreants and are gathering information to nab them soon,” she added.
Expressing condemnation over the incident, the state BJP general secretary P Rajeev remarked, “I strongly condemn the incident, and the police should arrest the culprits at the earliest. The government must take preventive measures to ensure the protection of statues from further insults. The law and order situation in the state is deteriorating.”
