UP Govt’s ‘Saffron’ Ambedkar Statue Painted Blue by BSP Leader

The statue had been vandalised earlier in the week.

The Ambedkar statue which was earlier saffron (right) was painted blue by BSP leader Himednra Gautam.

(Photo: ANI)

The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh on Monday, 9 April, installed a saffron painted statue of Babasaheb BR Ambedkar in a Badaun village, unlike the usual blue.

The statue of the architect of the Indian Constitution in Dugraiyya village, which was vandalised on Saturday, was replaced with this new one.

The new statue from Agra was unveiled in the presence of district police officers.

However, a day after it was installed, the statue was painted back to original blue colour by BSP leader Himendra Gautam.

According to a report in The Times of India, the police said the statue was vandalised by a local with an intent to create a law and order situation in the village. The accused has since been apprehended, while a police officer too was suspended for his alleged negligence.

Saturday’s vandalism was reportedly the second incident of the kind to have occurred in the past few years.

Speaking to the daily, Akram Miyan, husband to the village head, said that the statue had been damaged despite the deployment of policemen at the park where it was located.

(With inputs from IANS)