Fresh tension erupted in Jalandhar district of Punjab on Monday after a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, was desecrated in Nangal village of Phillaur subdivision. The incident, caught on CCTV cameras, showed a masked miscreant smearing black paint on the face of the statue and spray-painting pro-Khalistan and anti-Constitution slogans on the wall of a nearby government school.
Banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun claimed responsibility for the act in a video post, stating that it was intended to mark the 41st anniversary of Operation Bluestar. He alleged that the Indian Constitution, drafted under Ambedkar’s leadership, enabled military action against Sikhs in 1984 and legally undermined Sikh identity.
This is the second such incident in the same village in two months. On March 31, another statue of Ambedkar was similarly vandalized, prompting authorities to install a glass shield on it. However, the desecrated statue this time had no such protection, though CCTV cameras were in place.
Earlier also, a statue of Ambedkar, who led the Dalit rights movement, was vandalized on Heritage Street leading to the Golden Temple in Amritsar on January 26, triggering tension in the border state.
Senior police officials, including SSP Harvinder Singh Virk, rushed to the spot. A case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered against Pannun. Phillaur police have launched a manhunt, scrutinizing surveillance footage to identify and trace the perpetrator.
Dalit leaders and civil society groups expressed anger and demanded swift action. Congress’ Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary visited the site and condemned the attack, calling it “a cowardly assault on the Constitution and the values of equality and justice that Ambedkar stood for.” He alleged that separatist forces were trying to create rifts between Dalits and Sikhs, two communities with intertwined legacies of struggle against marginalization.
Congress state president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also denounced the incident and demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits. He warned against external elements attempting to disturb Punjab’s social fabric.
Security has been beefed up across sensitive areas in Jalandhar and other parts of Punjab ahead of June 6, the anniversary of Operation Bluestar, a date often marked by heightened communal tensions. Intelligence agencies remain on high alert.
With Dalits constituting around 32 percent of Punjab’s population — nearly double the national average of 16.6 percent — the desecration has sparked widespread resentment. Authorities have promised swift action and enhanced protection for statues of Ambedkar across the state to prevent further provocation.