Sun Feb 16 19:02:00 UTC 2025: ## Surge in Ambedkar Statue Vandalism Ignites Debate in India

**Amritsar, Punjab & Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh – February 17, 2025** – A recent spate of vandalism targeting statues of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of India’s Constitution, has sparked widespread outrage and raised concerns about the safety of Dalit communities.

While a Republic Day incident in Amritsar, Punjab, where a man attempted to vandalize an Ambedkar statue adjacent to the Golden Temple, garnered significant national attention and led to sedition charges, at least 13 similar incidents have gone largely unreported in Uttar Pradesh (UP) over the past four and a half months.

The UP incidents, first reported in October 2024, occurred across various districts, including Sultanpur, Ballia, Lucknow, Gonda, Kanpur, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Aligarh, Barabanki, and Baghpat. Most attacks occurred overnight, with perpetrators remaining unidentified. Police have filed complaints under laws addressing damage to public property, but arrests are yet to be made. In several cases, local communities have repaired the damaged statues themselves, sometimes raising funds for the repairs. Authorities have promised to install security cameras in public spaces as a preventative measure.

The lack of widespread public attention to the UP incidents has fueled accusations of political negligence and a weakening of Dalit social mobilization. The absence of strong political representation, particularly from the once-dominant Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which secured its lowest vote share in three decades in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, has been cited as a contributing factor. Dalit activists blame “feudal elements” for the attacks, viewing them as attempts to demoralize the community.

Following the Amritsar incident, BSP leader Mayawati condemned the act and accused the AAP government of negligence. However, her silence on the UP incidents has been noted and criticized. Opposition parties, including the Congress, have blamed the BJP’s alleged “politics of hate” for emboldening such acts. The contrasting levels of public awareness and political response to similar incidents in different states underscore the complex interplay of political dynamics and social mobilization in addressing such issues.

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