Cong drops move to install Indira’s statue after furore

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 30

Apparently to avoid any confrontation with radicals at a sensitive time, the District Congress Committee has abandoned the move to install a statue of the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at the Congress Bhawan here.

Earlier at a press conference in Chandigarh, Vijay Agnihotri, secretary, Punjab Youth Congress, had announced to install the statue to mark the anniversary of her assassination.

Several Sikh organisations have already opposed the move and issued open warning that their supporters would resist any such attempt.

The local administration and the police are learnt to have suggested to the party higher-ups that the move might add to the tension. The police are already in a spot over the recent killings of Hindu leaders.

Agnihotri said though these were his personal sentiments, the same were conveyed to all well in time.

“I had even sent invites too the MLAs and senior leaders. Besides, I had gone to Delhi to invite prominent persons too. None had raised any objection when invites were sent, but today it has been conveyed that no statue will be installed. I accept whatever the party decides”, said Agnihotri.

DCC president Gurpreet Bassi Gogi said these were the individual sentiments of a particular person.

“When I got to know about it, I immediately conveyed to all that the statue will not be installed at the Congress Bhawan here as no information regarding this was conveyed by the higher-ups,” said Gogi.