Three arrested for vandalising Dr Ambedkar’s statue in Kathua

The Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested three persons in connection with the vandalism of a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar in the remote Bani area of Kathua district, officials said on Monday.

An FIR under Sections 196 and 324(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at the Bani police station on Sunday evening after reports emerged that the statue, installed only a few months ago in Manjeri Park, had been damaged.

The incident triggered tension in the area, with members of the Dalit community taking to the streets to demand strict action against the culprits. Police swiftly launched an investigation and, based on preliminary leads, apprehended three individuals allegedly involved in the act.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kathua, Mohita Sharma, confirmed the arrests and said further investigation was underway. She, however, refrained from disclosing the identities of the accused.

The district administration restored the damaged statue on Monday morning, but anger among the local Dalit community persisted, with residents continuing their demand for stringent punishment for those responsible.

Condemning the incident, Bani MLA Rameshwar Singh called it “a tragic and shameful act.”

“I regret to announce that such an incident has occurred in Bani. A few months ago, we installed a statue of Baba Saheb Ambedkar as a symbol of our faith, and it is deeply unfortunate that someone vandalised it,” Singh said. “We will not take this issue lightly. I have spoken to the administration and demanded legal action against the culprits.”

Congress leader and former minister Yash Paul Kundal, a prominent Dalit leader, also denounced the act, terming it an attack on social harmony and constitutional values.

“This is not merely the destruction of stone and metal, but an assault on the self-respect of marginalised communities and the ideals enshrined in the Constitution,” Kundal said. “Targeting the statue of Dr Ambedkar is a direct attack on those values, and such acts will not be tolerated.”

Police said the investigation is ongoing to determine the motive behind the vandalism and whether others were involved in the incident.