Indore, May 8 In a shocking incident, unidentified miscreants allegedly removed a statue of Dr B. R. Ambedkar in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district, police said on Thursday.
According to initial information, the statue, installed in a village along the Indore-Ahmedabad National Highway, was taken down on Wednesday evening.
The act was reportedly captured on CCTV installed at a nearby building.
To avoid tension in the area, members of the local gram panchayat promptly installed a replacement statue. However, that too was removed within a few hours.
Angered by the repeated incidents, members of the Bhim Army staged a protest, chanting slogans in praise of Babasaheb Ambedkar, demanding strict action against those responsible for removing the statue.
Jagdish Davar, a Bhim Army member, alleged while speaking to local media that the act was a deliberate conspiracy to insult Dr Ambedkar and hurt the sentiments of his followers.
As news of the protest spread, a large crowd gathered at the site on Thursday. A team from the local police and district administration was deployed to control the situation.
Sunil Sharma, the in-charge of the local police station, said a new statue was installed again in the presence of the gram panchayat representatives, and the situation is now under control.
Sharma said a case has been registered against unknown persons. He also appealed to people to remain calm.
“CCTV footage is being reviewed to identify who removed the statue. Strict action will be taken once they are caught,” Sharma said.
Such incidents have become increasingly frequent in Madhya Pradesh. Last month, a man defaced a statue of Dr Ambedkar in Sidhi district by painting it.
On March 13, a statue of Dr Ambedkar was stolen from Bari village in the Gadhimalhara region of Chhatarpur district.
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