Punjab: Glass shield around Dr Ambedkar’s statue defaced
Tension gripped Phillaur on Monday after supporters of the banned terror outfit, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), defaced the glass shield installed around the statue of Dr BR Ambedkar at Nangal village.
After finding pro-Khalistan slogans spray-painted on the glass shield in the wee hours, Sarpanch Khushi Ram reported the matter to the police. Phillaur DSP Sarwan Singh Bal said heavy police force had been deployed in the area to maintain law and order.
Claiming responsibility for the act, SFJ chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun called for removal of Dr Ambedkar’s statues in Punjab ahead of Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14. He accused Dr Ambedkar of constitutionally categorising Sikhs as Hindus under Article 25(b).
Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary has urged the public to maintain communal harmony and not be provoked by divisive elements. Calling him a “fraud”, the MLA said, “Pannun does not represent the Sikh community.”
The DSP said they were monitoring the situation closely and an FIR had been registered against Pannun along with unidentified persons under Section 299 of the BNS.
