New Delhi, 16 September (H.S.): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday targeted the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab over the alleged damage to a statue of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar at Barian Kalan in Hoshiarpur district. The BJP said the government merely indulges in symbolism by displaying Babasaheb’s photograph in government offices, while failing to ensure the security of his statues across the state.

Tarun Chugh, BJP national office in-charge and Member of Parliament, said in a post on X that the incident involving Babasaheb’s statue at Barian Kalan raised serious questions about the law-and-order situation in Punjab. He claimed that criminals and miscreants no longer feared the police and administration, and that the state was being subjected to embarrassment due to the government’s alleged failure.

Chugh demanded that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ensure the immediate identification and arrest of those responsible for the incident and that strict action be taken against them in accordance with the law. He said the people of Punjab would not accept any insult to Babasaheb.

The incident comes at a time when Punjab has previously witnessed protests over alleged incidents involving disrespect to statues of Dr. Ambedkar. In early September, Dalit and Valmiki organisations had called for a shutdown in Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar in protest against a similar incident reported in Ludhiana.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar