BSP chief Mayawati today said mere statements by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are not enough and that the government should take strong action against elements behind such acts.
Condemning vandalism of statues of known figures, BSP chief Mayawati today said mere statements by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are not enough and that the government should take strong action against elements behind such acts.
She demanded that people behind vandalism of statues be booked for sedition so that nobody dares to repeat this.
Her statement comes amid a spate of incidents targeting statues and busts of icons in the country. A statue of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar's was vandalised in Meerut on Tuesday. It was replaced yesterday by the administration.
Speaking on the issue, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) President said: "Iss maamle mein PM ki bayaanbaazi nahi chalegi, balki aise tatvon ke khilaaf inko sakht kanooni karwayi karni chahiye. Aise logon ke khilaaf deshdroh ke tehet karwayi honi chahiye. Agar ab sarkaar sakhti dikhati hai toh aage jaake kisi ki himmat nahi hogi (Mere statements by the PM is not enough but strict legal action must be taken against such people. These people must be booked for sedition. If all governments take strict measures, nobody will dare to repeat such acts in future)."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had yesterday strongly disapproved of incidents of vandalism reported from certain parts of the country.
"Our party condemns such incidents. Our party asks the Centre and state governments to take measures to provide security to statues of revered figures, especially those born among Dalits," Mayawati said.
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has also asked the government to take stern action against those indulging in such acts.
"I think it is a big challenge for India that the statues of leaders who made big contributions are being damaged. It is wrong. The government should find out who are destructing the statues. It must take stern action against those doing so," Abdullah told reporters outside Parliament.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today directed district police chiefs to ensure the security of statues of known figures.
"Maintaining law and order is the priority of the state and the government will take strict action against those involved in vitiating it. District police chiefs should remain alert and ensure the security of statues of icons," he said here.
Strict action should be taken against those involved in the Meerut incident and measures should be taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur, Adityanath said.
In Kolkata, a bust of Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee was damaged yesterday following the razing of statues of Soviet icon Vladimir Illyich Lenin in Tripura.
The bust of Dravidian movement founder E V Ramasamy Periyar in Tamil Nadu's Vellore was also desecrated triggering widespread protests across the state.
(With PTI inputs)
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 "BSP chief Mayawati")
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