A statue of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar was vandalised in Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday by unidentified miscreants. The head of the statue had been shattered and the hands broken by vandals.
Azamgarh police reached the spot to take stock of the situation. No report of disturbance due to the vandalism was reported from the region.
It is noteworthy that the news of vandalism comes a day after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued a directive to all senior district officials in the state to ensure the security of statues of eminent personalities.
This is the second incident involving a statue of Ambedkar. A bust of the Dalit icon was desecrated in Meerut on 7 March.
Adityanath had on Thursday told District Magistrates and Senior Superintendents of Police in Uttar Pradesh that the government’s top priority is to ensure peace and safety in the state.
Referring to statue vandalism, the CM said that his government will take strict action against those who try to disrupt peace and that no one will be allowed to take law and order into their hands.
The Union Home Ministry has already asked states to prevent such incidents and take action against vandalism, which has been reported from many parts of the country ever since miscreants toppled a statue of Communist hero Lenin in Tripura.