Villagers, police clash in UP over removal of Ambedkar statue

Siddharthnagar: Tensions flared in Uttar Pradesh’s Siddharthnagar district on Monday as a clash broke out between villagers and local authorities over the removal of a statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar that was allegedly being installed without official permission, officials said.

According to the police, the situation turned violent when villagers began pelting stones at officials who had arrived at Samogra village to halt the unauthorized installation. Several government personnel sustained minor injuries during the confrontation.

The villagers, speaking to the media, alleged that police resorted to a lathi-charge during the incident. They claimed that the authorities used force to disperse the crowd and prevent them from completing the statue installation.

Bansi Circle Officer Mayank Dwivedi said the administration received information that an Ambedkar statue was being erected in the village without obtaining the necessary permissions. Acting on this, a team of police and tehsil officials accompanied him to the site to engage with the villagers and persuade them not to proceed with the installation.

However, the situation deteriorated when a woman from the Bansi area allegedly incited the villagers, triggering unrest and prompting the crowd to hurl stones at the officials. Amid the commotion, several members of the administration sustained minor injuries.

The statue was subsequently removed from the location, and authorities reported that the situation had been brought under control. The police confirmed that peace has since been restored in the area, and legal proceedings are underway in connection with the incident.

With PTI inputs