Ambedkar Statue Defacement In Amritsar: Punjab Police Says Accused Belongs To Scheduled Caste—Here's What Has Happened So Far

Various political leaders have reacted to the defacement of Dr B R Ambedkar's statue, the architect of the Indian Constitution, on Heritage Street in Punjab's Amritsar on Republic Day (26 January).

Condemning the incident, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann assured, "No one will be forgiven for this incident. Whoever is responsible, he/she will be severely punished," in a post on X.

"The incident of breaking the statue of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar ji on Heritage Street of Amritsar is highly condemnable and No one will be allowed to break the brotherhood and unity of Punjab," he added.

The Punjab CM has instructed the administration to investigate it and take strict action against the culprits as one of the ideologues of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is Ambedkar.

The accused, Akash Singh from Dharamkot in Moga district, was promptly apprehended by the police after he ascended a statue using a ladder that had been left in place for political figures to offer flower tributes during Republic Day.

After the officials had paid their respects, the ladder was not taken down, providing Singh the opportunity to climb the statue. Consequently, he inflicted damage on both the statue and the sculpture of the Constitution book.

The authorities confirmed that Akash Singh is a member of the Scheduled Caste. Despite this, upset individuals from Dalit associations assembled at the location, chanting protest slogans against law enforcement for their failure to safeguard the statue of Ambedkar.

Ambedkar is revered for advocating for Dalits by promoting education, legal rights, and societal reforms. In their pursuit of justice for the case, Dalit groups have issued a call for a shutdown in Amritsar on Monday.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP), City-1, Vishaljit Singh was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times that the police acted swiftly and registered First Information Report (FIR) and arrested the accused.

“Today, a mischievous element attempted to damage the statue of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar at Town Hall. If any other person is found to be involved in this case, they will not be spared. Further investigation is on," he added.

He further stated that the investigation has uncovered that the apprehended suspect is a member of a Scheduled Caste.

In the meantime, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) responded strongly to the comments made by former Union Minister and BJP leader Vijay Sampla about the incident.

In a social media post in Hindi, Sampla said, "Since this incident took place in the galliara (corridor) of Sri Harmandar Sahib, the SGPC and Akal Takht Jathedar should also issue a clarification."

Partap Singh, the secretary of the gurdwara body which manages affairs of the holiest Sikh shrine, clarified that the statue is not situated in the galliara of Sri Harmandar Sahib.

"It is near the Partition Museum and Kotwali police station, where the responsibility to protect it totally lies with the government and administration," he said adding the statue is nearly 1km from the shrine.

Singh asserted, "“The Sikh institution gives due respect to Dr Ambedkar and strongly condemns the vandalism, but creating confusion in the sangat (community) by linking this incident to Harmandar Sahib is condemnable."

"Such baseless statements are unfair. Sampla should withdraw his statement so that confusion ends. Demanding a clarification from the SGPC and Akal Takht jathedar is wrong," he added.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal also condemned the incident and demanded stern action against the culprit and a thorough inquiry to unravel the conspiracy.

The incident was condemned by Raj Kumar Verka, a Congress leader and ex-minister, who described it as a sacrilege. He, along with MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla and other party leaders, took it upon themselves to clean the statue on Monday.