NEW DELHI, Jan 28 : Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday condemned the desecration of a BR Ambedkar statue in Punjab’s Amritsar and demanded an unconditional apology from the state’s AAP government for the “neglect and mistreatment” of his statues in the holy city.
He also sought strict action against the perpetrators and said failure to do so would be construed as both the central and the Punjab governments promoting such vandalism.
“We demand an immediate and unconditional apology from the government of Punjab for the neglect and mistreatment of Dr Ambedkar’s statues in the holy city of Amritsar,” Kharge said in a statement.
“We also demand that strict action, without fail, must be taken against the perpetrators. Otherwise, the nation would be forced to think that both the Union government and the government of Punjab are promoting such vandalism,” he added.
It is deeply disheartening and outrageous that the sanctity and respect for Ambedkar, the chief architect of India’s Constitution and a beacon of social justice, are being trampled upon under the current dispensation, Kharge charged.
The issue surrounding the desecration of Ambedkar’s statue in Punjab is a stark reminder of how hollow the promises of equality and social inclusion are under the present regime, he added.
Police on Sunday arrested Akash Singh, a resident of Dharamkot in Punjab’s Moga district, for allegedly attempting to damage an Ambedkar statue at the Town Hall on Heritage Street that leads to the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
A clip purporting to show a man attempting to vandalise the life-size statue became widely circulated on social media. The man can be seen climbing atop the statue using a steel ladder and repeatedly hitting it with a hammer.
Kharge said the Punjab government utilised every opportunity to use Ambedkar’s name and photograph for its politics and to seek votes but “failed miserably” when it came to protecting his values and vision.
“The failure to safeguard Ambedkar’s legacy and ensure due respect to his symbolic presence in the form of statues is not just a regional issue — it is emblematic of a systemic disregard for the values of justice, equality and fraternity that Dr Ambedkar stood for,” he said.
Instead of addressing issues of caste oppression and empowering the marginalised sections, the Congress chief alleged that those in power had chosen to politicise and trivialise matters related to the Dalit icon.
The treatment meted out to Ambedkar’s statue in the Parliament complex earlier is nothing less than shocking, he added, referring to sculptures of freedom movement stalwarts being moved to a designated place on the premises — a decision opposed by the opposition parties.
It is a matter of great shame that the statue, which once occupied a prominent and respectful place on the Parliament premises, has now been relegated to a corner, as if to diminish the stature of the man who laid the foundation of modern India, he noted.
“We have already demanded that Dr Ambedkar’s statue on the Parliament premises must be restored to its rightful and prominent place. This decision, made without any regard for the historical and emotional significance of the statue, speaks volumes about the Union government’s apathy toward honouring the legacy of one of India’s greatest visionaries,” Kharge said.
“By failing to protect his statues across the country, the governments, both Union and the state, are sending a clear and dangerous message — that it neither values his contributions nor respects the principles he stood for,” he asserted.
Observing that Ambedkar’s contributions to the nation were unparalleled, Kharge said his relentless fight for the rights of the oppressed, drafting of the Constitution that guaranteed equality to every citizen, and his vision for an inclusive India deserved nothing less than the highest regard.
“The Congress stands firm in its commitment to protecting and upholding the legacy of Dr Ambedkar. We will continue to fight against any attempt to undermine his contributions and the ideals enshrined in our Constitution. It is our collective duty as a nation to ensure that his memory and message remain eternal and undiminished,” the Congress chief said. (PTI)