Ambedkar’s statue vandalized in Noida park

Noida: A statue of Dr B R Ambedkar was allegedly vandalized in a Sector 37 park on Wednesday afternoon. Local residents and a few members of Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) gathered at the spot and staged a protest demanding timely action against the miscreants. Police are trying to trace the accused, who have not been identified yet.
The Ambedkar Park in Sector 37, which is adjacent to the community centre, has a life-sized statue and three small statues, each about one foot tall, of Ambedkar.Local residents usually visit the park in the morning and evening.
According to police, unidentified people vandalised the statue in the afternoon and fled from the spot. The incident took place when it was raining and most local residents were at home.
No other statues or property was damaged in the park. The park, which is open to all, does not have any guards. A police team reached at the spot and covered the statue.
Lal Singh Gautam, district BSP president, said that he came to know about the incident around 2 pm. “We immediately reached the spot and found the statue vandalized. The right hand of one of the small statues was broken and was found on the ground. This is disrespect to Ambedkar, who holds an esteemed position in our hearts,” he told TOI.
Gautam said that some anti-social elements have done this mischievous act to escalate tensions among the local people.
Bachchu Singh, city magistrate, also visited the park. He said that the incident took place between 12-2 pm. “There is no eyewitness to the incident. We will replace the statue with a new one. We will also install CCTV cameras around the area to improve safety,” he said.
Residents however demanded that the administration put wire fencing on the boundary walls of the park. “They should also put a security guard at the spot to ensure safety of statues,” said Mohit Kumar, a local resident.
Gaurav Grover, assistant superintendent of police, Noida, said that CCTV cameras were installed around the area. “We are trying to trace the accused who vandalized the statue,” he said.
A case against unidentified persons have been registered under sections 427(creating mischief) and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) of IPC at Sector 39 police station.