E-Paper
Miscreants damage Ambedkar?s statue
TENSION PREVAILED in the city after some miscreants damaged the statue of Dr BR Ambedkar at Dalit Basti under the Kakadeo police circle on Wednesday morning.
TENSION PREVAILED in the city after some miscreants damaged the statue of Dr BR Ambedkar at Dalit Basti under the Kakadeo police circle on Wednesday morning.
Agitated mob gathered at the incident site and started shouting anti-government and anti-administration slogans. Another group of political activists tried to create ruckus by burning tyres to block the road.
Senior police officials rushed to the spot and the administration immediately replaced the damaged statue, which was cremated with Buddha customs at a cemetery, with a new one.
According to sources, last night residents of the slum, which is opposite to Kulwanti Nursing Home, saw some people desecrating the idol of Ambedkar. The news spread like fire in the locality and people started gathering at the site.
Meanwhile, workers of the Bhartiya Dalit Panther (BDP)too reached the spot and started shouting anti-government slogans and burnt tyres to block the road.
This created a riot-like situation in the area.
When the matter came to the notice of district officials, police force of Kakadeo, Nazirabad, Fazalganj and Swaroopnagar police circles and SP (west) Gulab Singh, CO, Pawitra Mohan Tripathi, and OP Singh rushed to the spot. As senior police officials arrived at the spot, thousands of furious people started shouting anti-administration slogans and demanding arrest of the culprits.
After talking to leaders of the dalit community and BDP leader Dhaniram Boudh, administration officials managed to restore order and replaced the damaged idol with a new one. They also assured early arrest of the miscreants. The desecrated idol was later cremated with full Buddhist customs at the Swami Achutanand cemetery.
While the administration claimed that situation was under control, heavy police force has been deployed in the area.
