Two more Ambedkar statues vandalised in UP

Statues of Dalit icon B.R. Ambedkar were vandalised at two different places in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, police said.

While the first incident took place at Shivsinghpur in Etah district, the second statue was broken by unidentified miscreants at Nagla Nadu in Sirsaganj area of Firozabad.

The police said in the first incident, the thumb of a statue was smashed by a blunt object. Senior district and police officials immediately rushed to the spot.

In Firozabad, many locals and some Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leaders arrived on the spot as news of the incident spread.

Officials of the district administration had a tough time pacifying the irate mob which was demanding immediate arrest of the people behind the incident.

The district officials then ordered a new statue from Shikohabad which is on the way and is likely to be put up by night.

This is the fourth such incident in the past one month where statues of the Architect of the Constitution have been targeted.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently shot off a missive to all district magistrates and police chiefs to ensure that there was no repeat of such incidents.

He had also warned officials that they would be held personally responsible if such incidents took place in their jurisdiction.

--IANS

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