Ludhiana: The protective glass enclosure around the statue of Bharat Ratna Dr B. R. Ambedkar at Jalandhar Bypass main chowk was smashed early on Friday, October 30, in the third such incident at the spot in three months. The statue stands in the Salem Tabri police station area. The glass was broken at around 6.57 am, reportedly after stones were pelted at the enclosure.
Source: TV9 Punjabi
A Salem Tabri police team reached the spot and began an investigation, and police have arrested a woman suspect in connection with the case. The Tribune and United Punjab News identified her as Manu, aged 45, who allegedly pelted the stones. Salem Tabri station house officer Jasvir Singh said the woman was taken into custody and that police suspect her mental condition is not well — a police assessment the investigation is yet to establish. TV9 Punjabi reported that officers are going through CCTV footage from the chowk to establish whether the glass was broken deliberately or in an accident, and that extra police have been deployed in the area.
Source: The Tribune
Third incident at the same chowk
According to United Punjab News, the glass around the same statue was earlier found broken on July 14, when a stone was also recovered nearby and Bahujan Samaj Party workers protested demanding arrests. On September 8, an unidentified person allegedly put a garland of shoes on the statue, which angered members of the Valmiki community, and protesters blocked the Jalandhar Bypass demanding action.
Source: United Punjab News
After Friday's incident, BSP leaders and workers and representatives of the Valmiki community began gathering at the chowk in large numbers and there was anger in the area, TV9 Punjabi reported, adding that heavy police force was deployed around the chowk. Community leader Chaudhary Yashpal, who reached the spot, condemned the incident and, according to TV9 Punjabi, called it an apparent attempt to spoil the city's harmony, demanding an impartial inquiry and the strictest legal action if the act was deliberate.
Following the repeated incidents, a delegation of the Dr Ambedkar Ekta Mission Punjab had on September 29 submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain demanding stronger security at the statue — high-quality surveillance cameras, solar-powered lights, taller security grills and bulletproof glass around the statue, along with better upkeep of the park, United Punjab News reported.
Police say the investigation is continuing and the facts will become clear once the CCTV examination is complete. No motive has been officially established so far.