Despite PM Modi's strong condemnation and Home Ministry's advisory to states, miscreants in different parts of the country are resorting to vandalism by targeting statues of eminent personalities.
Two more incidents have been reported from Kerala and Tamil Nadu respectively. In Kerala, Kannur, Mahatma Gandhi's statue was attacked by unknown miscreant and spectacle of the statue was damaged. Police has arrested one person in connection with the incident. According to person, the accused is mentally disabled and they have ruled out any political angle in this incident.
The incident happened in Thaliparamba area of Kannur. In a separate incident, an Ambedkar bust was desecrated in Chennai. The attack happened on Wednesday night in Tiruvottiyur, Chennai. Another Ambedkar statue was destroyed in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh recently.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed strong disapproval of incidents of statues of iconic leaders being damaged and vandalised in some parts of the country, and warned that stern action would be taken against all those responsible. His view was echoed by Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP president Amit Shah. All this came on a day when more cases of such vandalism were reported and the issue rocked both houses of Parliament. The PM has strongly condemned the reported incidents of vandalism in certain parts of the country and said stern action will be taken against those found guilty, a government spokesperson said. “The PM spoke to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in this regard and expressed his strong disapproval of such incidents,” the spokesperson said. While V-P Naidu described the attacks as “shameful” and “mad”, Singh asked all political parties to ensure that those found guilty are dealt with strictly.
After the PM spoke to Singh, the latter’s Ministry told all states and UTs to ensure close monitoring and action to prevent such incidents and promptly investigate current cases, besides arresting and prosecuting the culprits.
BJP Chief Amit Shah also spoke to the party units in Tamil Nadu and Tripura and said any organisation person found involved in such vandalism will face severe action.
Two statues of Communist icon Lenin were brought down in Tripura on Monday, two days after the BJP wrested the Left bastion. Iconic Dravidian leader EV Ramasamy Periyar’s statue was vandalised in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore on Tuesday, sparking massive anger and protests in the southern state.
Wednesday’s condemnation, warnings and appeals coincided with Jana Sangh founder and BJP icon Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s bust being blackened and its features smashed by an ultra-Left student outfit of Jadavpur University in Kolkata. The incident sparked sharp criticism from the saffron outfit. Protests also broke in Western Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut on Wednesday against the previous night’s attack on Dalit icon BR Ambedkar’s statute.
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