Statue Vandalism Continues: Now Subhash Chandra Bose Targeted in MP's Jabalpur, B R Ambedkar in UP's Azamgarh
The Ministry of Home Affairs has so far issued two advisories instructing the state governments to take precautionary measures against the targeting of statues of political and community-based leaders.
New Delhi, Mar 10: Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message to political workers cutting across party lines to refrain from statue vandalism, incidences of the hooliganistic act continue to emerge. A statue of Dalit icon Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar was found vandalised in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh on Saturday, a day after freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose's bust was allegedly defaced in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur.
"Immediately arrest the culprits who vandalised the statue of the Liberator of India in Jabalpur, MP," demanded Chandra Kumar Bose, BJP leader and grand nephew of Netaji Bose.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, however, issued a clarification saying the statue of Bose was not targeted deliberately, but was accidently damaged during Holi celebrations.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has so far issued two advisories instructing the state governments to take precautionary measures against the targeting of statues of political and community-based leaders.
The statue targeting row was kicked off after the BJP's victory in Tripura assembly elections. Zealous party workers reportedly brought down a statue of Vladimir Lenin in Tripura's Belonia town. Subsequently, another bust of the communist ideologue was found vandalised in Sabnoor.
This was followed by the attack on anti-caste activist Periyar's statue in Tamil Nadu, hours after BJP national secretary H Raja uploaded a post on Facebook which predicted a "Lenin-like fate" of the numerous busts of Periyar across the state.
Periyar, who championed the Dravidian cause, is the prime ideologue of the DMK and AIADMK - the two major political players in the state.
After Periyar, a statue of Jan Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was found defaced in Kolkata.
On Thursday, a bust of Mahatma Gandhi was also found damaged in Kerala's political sensitive town of Kannur.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 10, 2018 01:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).