Ambedkar Jayanti: Statue vandalism alert issued in Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow: Ahead of the Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14, the Uttar Pradesh government has sounded an alert on the safety and security of statues of the Dalit leader, an official said on Monday.

The advisory has been issued keeping in mind the Bharat Bandh called on April 2 by Dalit community leaders opposing the vandalism of Babasaheb BR Ambedkar statues and atrocities on Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe people.

After several incidents of vandalism of statues of iconic leaders across some states in March, the Uttar Pradesh Home Department alerted all the district police chiefs to sensitise their personnel. Vigil has been stepped up and local intelligence units (LIU) alerted.

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Ambedkar statues were vandalised in Meerut, Saharanpur, Firozabad and Bulandshahr in March, triggering angry protests from the opposition Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi party (SP).

People had taken to streets and threat to law and order had emerged. "To avoid a repeat, we have alerted the police force in advance," a state Home Department official told IANS.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been on the edge following widespread Dalit protests in the state.