6 days ago
Ambedkar Statue Dispute Sparks Violence in Uttar Pradesh Village
People in a village in Uttar Pradesh argued about putting an Ambedkar statue back in its place.
The statue had reportedly been damaged and thrown away on Sunday.
Villagers repaired it and wanted to reinstall it on government land.
Some other villagers objected and called the police.
Police had already sent officers to the area to prevent trouble.
In the evening, police said stones were thrown at them and vehicles were damaged.
A police lathi-charge and the later violence injured at least 12 people.
Villagers and police gave different accounts of how the clashes began.
At least 12 people were injured during clashes in Raja Ki Sikri village, Badaun district.
The dispute involved permission to reinstall a repaired B.R. Ambedkar statue on government land.
Villagers said the statue had been vandalised and removed on Sunday after being installed six months earlier.
Police said protesters threw stones and damaged more than 10 government and private vehicles.
A villager accused officials of selectively denying permission while overlooking alleged encroachments on government land.
- Who
- Villagers, police, local administrators and passers-by were involved; at least 12 people were injured.
- What
- Clashes broke out over permission to reinstall a repaired B.R. Ambedkar statue on gram sabha land, or government land.
- Where
- Raja Ki Sikri village in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun district.
- When
- The clashes occurred on Tuesday evening; the statue was reportedly vandalised on Sunday.
- Why
- Villagers wanted to reinstall the statue at its previous location, while permission was disputed and some villagers objected.
Villagers’ account
Police and administration’s account
Reason for the dispute
Villagers’ account
Villagers said they were trying to reinstall a repaired statue where it had stood before and had not received permission from officials.
Police and administration’s account
Police said force was deployed because some villagers wanted to install the statue on government land without approved permission.
How the violence began
Villagers’ account
The reported account describes a police lathi-charge followed by violence and says some villagers objected to the statue’s reinstallation.
Police and administration’s account
The Badaun senior superintendent of police said villagers began hurling stones at police in the evening.
Treatment of government land
Villagers’ account
A villager alleged that affluent villagers had occupied government land for cultivation without facing administrative action.
Police and administration’s account
The administration’s stated position, as reflected by the police deployment, was that installing the statue on government land required permission.
Key facts
- Injuries
- At least 12 people were injured in the lathi-charge and subsequent violence.
- Disputed site
- Gram sabha, or government, land where villagers said the statue had previously stood.
- Statue history
- A villager said it was installed six months earlier, vandalised on Sunday and then repaired.
- Vehicle damage
- More than 10 government and private vehicles were allegedly damaged.
- Police deployment
- Police forces had been deployed from the morning.
- Police account
- The senior superintendent of police said protesters threw stones at police and injured some policemen and passers-by.
- Villager allegation
- A villager said officials overlooked affluent villagers’ alleged use of government land while denying permission for the statue.
Quotes
A villager
Resident of Raja Ki Sikri village describing the statue’s vandalism and the dispute over its reinstallation.
“Many affluent villagers have captured government land and grow food grains there for personal consumption. The local administration has no problem with that. The same officers ignored our applications to allow us to reinstall the statue of Ambedkar on the plot where it stood before.”
telegraphindia.com
“We had installed an Ambedkar statue at the same place six months ago, but someone damaged it and threw it away on Sunday. We repaired the statue and gathered at the spot to reinstall it, but some OBC villagers objected and called the police.”
telegraphindia.com
Ankita Sharma
Senior superintendent of police of Badaun describing the police deployment and violence.
“We had deployed force there since morning because some villagers wanted to install the statue on government land. They started hurling stones at the police in the evening. Some policemen and passers-by were injuried. They damaged several police and private vehicles.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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