The Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant Singh Mann condemned and assured strict action against the man who attempted to damage B R Ambedkar's statue.
Police on Sunday arrested a man hailing from Punjab's Moga, who allegedly tried to damage the statue of Ambedkar at the Town Hall on Heritage Street that leads to the Golden Temple. The accused was soon arrested by the Amritsar Police Commissionerate followed by an FIR.
The CM, in a post on X, "Whoever is responsible for the incident, he/she will be severely punished. No one will be allowed to break the brotherhood and unity of Punjab. Instructions have been issued to the administration to investigate it and take strict action against the culprits."
A purported video of the incident went viral on social media in which the man could be seen climbing up the statue using a long steel ladder and carrying a hammer.
Opposition leaders condemned the incident, to stage protests:
Opposition leaders strongly condemned the incident, with some leaders saying there could be a "deep-rooted" conspiracy behind it which needs to be thoroughly probed.
Punjab Congress chief and party MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring demanding a high-level investigation said that there could be a "deep-rooted" conspiracy behind it.
BJP senior leader Tarun Chugh said the culprit should be given strict punishment. The conspiracy needs to be unearthed, he said.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal also strongly condemned the incident and demanded a detailed inquiry to unravel the "conspiracy" behind the incident.
"Strongly condemn the attempt to desecrate the statue of Dr B R Ambedkar ji's statue at the Heritage Street in Sri Amritsar Sahib on Republic Day. This heinous act has hurt the sentiments of millions. I demand stern action against the culprit and a thorough inquiry to unravel the conspiracy behind this shameful incident. Let's stand united against such vile attempts to create divisions in our society," Badal wrote in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Monday condemned the attempt to vandalise the statue of B R Ambedkar in Amritsar and demanded an inquiry.
The RPI (A) chief said the party workers would stage demonstrations in Punjab and Maharashtra.
BSP chief Mayawati also condemned the incident while accusing the state's AAP government of negligence.
Mayawati said, "The attempt to desecrate the statue of Baba Saheb Dr BR Ambedkar near the Golden Temple on Heritage Street in Amritsar and to set fire near a copy of the Constitution is shameful. Such incidents, caused by government negligence, must be strongly condemned".
BJP blames Arvind Kejriwal:
BJP slammed Arvind Kejriwal over an alleged attempt to damage a statue of BR Ambedkar in Punjab and demanded that he apologise to the Dalit community and step down as AAP convenor.
The saffron party also held a protest near Kejriwal's Firozshah Road residence.
Party leaders said BJP national general secretary Dushyant Gautam, Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva, Lok Sabha MP Yogendra Chandolia, and Scheduled Tribe Morcha president Mohanlal Gihara, among others, were detained during the demonstration.
They were later released from the Mandir Marg police station, they said.
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