In Uttar Pradesh’s Kodapur village, tensions rose after a statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar was allegedly uprooted and thrown into a canal by unidentified people. The incident happened on Sunday night and was confirmed by police on Monday.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Ganganagar) Kuldeep Singh Gunawat, the statue had been placed on a disputed path through farmland, which had already caused disagreements in the village. “Unidentified miscreants removed the statue and chucked it into a nearby canal. The statue had been a point of contention among local residents,” he told PTI.
A case has been registered, and authorities said a new statue will be installed soon. “The situation in the area remains peaceful and under control,” Gunawat added.
But this is not the first time Ambedkar statues have been targeted.
In January 2024, a man named Akashdeep Singh was arrested in Amritsar, Punjab, for attacking a statue of Ambedkar with a hammer on Republic Day. He also damaged a sculpture of the Constitution next to it. The video of the attack went viral, sparking outrage.
Last year, in December 2024, two men were arrested in Ahmedabad for defacing another Ambedkar statue. The statue’s nose and glasses were broken.
Similar acts have also happened in Andhra Pradesh. In February 2023, a statue in Bommalasatram village was damaged, with its finger and nose broken. In 2021, another statue in Chintalapudi was garlanded with footwear—an act seen as deeply disrespectful. In 2018, a statue in Pedagantyada near Visakhapatnam was also vandalised.
Even educational institutions haven’t been free from such controversies. Last year, a skit at Jain University in Bengaluru featured a character named “Beer Ambedkar” and included casteist remarks. Seven students and the principal were arrested.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here.