Members of Dalit bodies have asked for Amritsar to shut down on Monday to protest the vandalizing of the iconic statue of B.R. Ambedkar. This vandalization took place on Heritage Street near the Golden Temple complex on the evening of Republic Day.
With this, the members have demanded strict action against the accused, who was arrested by the police.
Ambedkar Statue Vandalism: Accused Identified & Arrested
According to the police, the accused, Akashdeep Singh, hails from the Scheduled Caste community. Singh used a hammer to deface the statue and set fire to the stone-carved Constitution book placed in front of it by lighting inflammable material. He also used a ladder to reach the statue’s top.
The police have stated that the motive behind the incident is still unclear. Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar confirmed that a First Information Report (FIR) has been filed, and the accused has been arrested. Further investigation is ongoing.
Punjab CM Condemns Statue Vandalism In Strongest Terms
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has strongly condemned the vandalism of Ambedkar’s statue in Amritsar and has assured strong action against the guilty.
The Chief Minister also took to his social media handle on Monday and wrote that no one will be spared and strong action will be taken.
“The incident of breaking the statue of Baba Sahib Bhim Rao Ambedkar Ji at Heritage Street in Sri Amritsar Sahib is highly condemnable and no one will be spared for this incident. Whoever is responsible for the incident, will be punished severely. No one will be allowed to break the communal harmony of Punjab. Instructions have been issued to the administration to investigate this and take strict action against the culprits,” wrote Mann in a post on X.
ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦੀ ਹੈਰੀਟੇਜ ਸਟ੍ਰੀਟ ਵਿਖੇ ਬਾਬਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਭੀਮ ਰਾਓ ਅੰਬੇਡਕਰ ਜੀ ਦੀ ਮੂਰਤੀ ਨੂੰ ਤੋੜਨ ਦੀ ਘਟਨਾ ਬੇਹੱਦ ਨਿੰਦਣਯੋਗ ਹੈ ਤੇ ਕਿਸੇ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਇਸ ਘਟਨਾ ਲਈ ਬਖ਼ਸ਼ਿਆ ਨਹੀਂ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ। ਘਟਨਾ ਨੂੰ ਅੰਜਾਮ ਦੇਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਭਾਵੇਂ ਕੋਈ ਵੀ ਹੋਵੇ, ਉਸਨੂੰ ਸਖ਼ਤ ਤੋਂ ਸਖ਼ਤ ਸਜ਼ਾ ਮਿਲੇਗੀ। ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀ ਭਾਈਚਾਰਕ ਸਾਂਝ ਤੋੜਣ ਦੀ ਕਿਸੇ ਨੂੰ…
— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) January 27, 2025
BJP Criticizes Punjab Government’s Handling Of Law & Order
BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh criticized the AAP government in Punjab for its handling of law and order.
He accused the Bhagwant Mann-led government of being inactive, stating that while the Chief Minister focuses on tourism, incidents like the tampering with Ambedkar’s statue and the insult to the Constitution continue. Chugh pointed out that the act took place outside a police station, calling it a sign of the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.
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