The central government has formed a six-member delegation to investigate the vandalism of the statue of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar in Amritsar.
The incident, which took place on Republic Day, has stirred widespread outrage, with political figures from various parties calling for swift action and accountability.
BJP national spokesperson Guru Parkash Paswan condemned the act and questioned the response of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of failing to address the incident adequately.
Speaking at a press conference, Paswan expressed his anger over the damage caused to the statue and vowed that both the repairs and the punishment for the culprits would be prioritised.
“This is a deeply saddening and unfortunate event,” Paswan said. “Kejriwal has always spoken highly of Dr. Ambedkar, but where is his devotion now? We will ensure the statue is repaired and the perpetrators are punished. The BJP has been committed to the legacy of Dr. Ambedkar, and we will not tolerate any disrespect of this magnitude in the future.”
Lal Singh Aray, the National President of the SC Morcha, joined in the criticism, targeting Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government for its perceived negligence.
He pointed out that despite the incident having occurred a week ago, there had been no official police statement or proper investigation.
Aray suggested that individuals connected to the AAP government or the Mann administration might be involved in the act, demanding an immediate and thorough inquiry.
“Seven days have passed since this incident, yet there has been no police response or statements,” Aray said. “It’s highly suspicious. We demand transparency in the investigation, and we will not rest until the culprits are identified.”
Rajya Sabha MP Brij Lal provided further details about the incident, claiming that the vandalism involved not only an attempt to break the statue but also an attempt to burn the Indian flag.
According to Lal, the individual responsible for the attack had lived in Dubai for two years and was a Sikh. The MP suggested that the individual could not have acted alone and implied the involvement of a larger group.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is reportedly looking into the matter.
“The culprit tried to break the statue and burn the flag. Our investigation shows that he didn’t act alone—there are others behind this,” Lal said. “The NIA is conducting a full investigation to ensure justice.”
Lal also expressed disappointment with the lack of action from Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Both leaders, despite their vocal support for Dr. Ambedkar, had not visited the site of the vandalism. Lal stressed that the Punjab government’s response to the incident had been too casual and called for stronger security measures around the statue.
“Mann has yet to visit the site, and even Rahul Gandhi, who claims to honour Ambedkar, has not made an appearance,” Lal said. “This is a serious matter. The government’s response has been lacking, and we demand heightened security at the statue.”
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