BJP Leaders Meet Punjab Governor, Demand Independent Probe into Ambedkar Statue Vandalism

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BJP Leaders Meet Punjab Governor, Demand Independent Probe into Ambedkar Statue Vandalism

Thursday, 30 January 2025 | PNS

The vandalization of Dr BR Ambedkar’s statue in Amritsar has turned into a major flashpoint in Punjab’s political landscape. The state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday escalated its attack on the Punjab Government over the recent vandalization of Dr Ambedkar’s statue and the attempted burning of the stone sculpture of the Indian Constitution in Amritsar on the Republic Day.

 

A delegation of senior BJP leaders met Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Wednesday, demanding a high-level probe by an independent agency to expose the conspiracy behind the incident. 

 

The saffron party accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab Government of negligence and possible complicity, pointing to the fact that the crime took place just 100 meters away from a police station, yet law enforcement failed to prevent it. The BJP leaders also claimed that the incident was orchestrated to create communal unrest and destabilize Punjab. 

 

The delegation, which included senior BJP leaders such as former Cabinet Minister Manoranjan Kalia, ex-Union Minister Som Prakash, ex-MP Sushil Rinku, BJP Punjab core group member Kewal Dhillon, and state general secretary Anil Sarin, submitted a memorandum to Governor Kataria, outlining their concerns.

 

“This is not an isolated act of vandalism but part of a larger conspiracy aimed at inciting unrest and deepening communal divides in Punjab,” said the BJP leaders, while insisting that only an independent agency, free from the influence of the state government, could conduct a fair investigation and bring out the real masterminds behind the act. 

 

The BJP leaders strongly hinted at the involvement of state machinery in the incident, raising serious allegations against the ruling AAP government. “How is it possible that such a heinous act took place in a high-security area, near a police station, and yet no one intervened?” the delegation questioned. 

 

The BJP alleged that the failure of the police to prevent the act or respond swiftly raises suspicions of either gross negligence or deliberate inaction. The leaders further accused the Punjab Government of attempting to downplay the incident to protect certain interests. 

 

Amid mounting pressure, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has taken to the social media on Monday, strongly condemning the desecration of Ambedkar’s statue.  “No one involved in this shameful act will be spared. Strict action will be taken,: Mann had posted on X (formerly Twitter). 

 

However, BJP leaders dismissed his statement as “mere lip service”, arguing that his government has failed to maintain law and order in Punjab. 

 

The vandalization took place on the evening of January 26, near the Golden Temple complex on Heritage Street, Amritsar. The accused, identified as Akashdeep Singh, reportedly belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community. 

 

According to the police reports Akashdeep used a hammer to deface Dr Ambedkar’s statue, and also burnt the stone-carved Constitution book in front of the statue by lighting inflammable material on it. Later, he climbed the statue using a ladder, already present there, to carry out the act. A video of the incident went viral, leading to his immediate arrest. 

 

Despite the arrest, BJP leaders maintained that the real masterminds remain unidentified. They argued that the timing of the act, occurring on Republic Day, suggested political motives and a larger conspiracy.

 

BJP leaders doubled down on their allegations, arguing that the AAP Government has failed to maintain social harmony and law and order in Punjab. “This is a government that is more focused on campaigning for Delhi elections than governing Punjab,” said a BJP leader.

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