PM Narendra Modi ‘Strongly’ Condemns Vandalism of Statues

“The Prime Minister has strongly disapproved reported incidents of vandalism,” an official statement said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, 7 March, strongly condemned the vandalism of statues in many states, triggered by razing of Communist hero Lenin's statue in Tripura on Monday, an act condoned by some BJP leaders, followed by similar incidents in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

"The Prime Minister has strongly disapproved reported incidents of vandalism in parts of the country," an official statement said.

The statement said Modi spoke to Home Minister Rajnath Singh and sought “stern action” against those who resorted to vandalism of statues.

Following the demolition of two of Vladimir Lenin statues in Tripura, a statue of Dravidian icon and social reformer EVR Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar, was vandalised in Tamil Nadu's Vellore on Tuesday night.

A bust of BJP icon Syama Prasad Mookerjee was blackened and smashed with a hammer in Kolkata's Keoratola crematorium. A statue of BR Ambedkar was also vandalised by miscreants in Mawana, near Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, late on Tuesday night.

PM Modi in his statement said he spoke with Rajnath Singh regarding the incidents of toppling of statues.

(The) Ministry of Home Affairs has taken serious note of such incidents of vandalism. (The) ministry has asked the states that they must take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents. Persons indulging in such acts must be sternly dealt with and booked under relevant provisions of law.

Home Ministry

The Centre has issued a second advisory to the states asking them to promptly investigate the incidents of vandalism of statues in some parts of the country, and arrest and prosecute the culprits, reported ANI.

The advisory asked States to investigate such incidents promptly and book the culprits accordingly, as it called for close and continuous monitoring of the situation and take all possible preventive measures so that such incidents do not happen in the near future.

(With inputs from ANI)

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