Two people have been arrested for vandalising a statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar in Loni, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. The incident sparked sit-in protests by Scheduled Caste communities, disrupting traffic on the Delhi-Saharanpur Highway. Police assured action, leading to the protest being called off.
Tensions rose in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, after unidentified miscreants vandalised a statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar in Loni on the intervening night of Saturday, April 18, and Sunday, April 19.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rural) Surendra Nath Tiwari said, "We have arrested two people who were allegedly involved in the incident. The two accused have been identified as Manish, 26, a resident of Sangam Vihar, Loni Border, and Jonty alias Prince, 26, a resident of Saraswati Vihar in Loni."
Police formed a team immediately after receiving information about the damaged roadside statue. They registered a case, examined CCTV footage and other evidence, and involved a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team in the investigation, leading to the arrests by Loni Border Police.
The vandalism triggered a sit-in protest by members of Scheduled Caste communities on the Delhi-Saharanpur Highway, causing traffic disruptions. The protest ended a few hours later after police assured strict action against the offenders.
BJP's Loni MLA Nand Kishor Gurjar demanded stern action. "Babasaheb is not of any one religion, he is from all 36 communities and the country, and hence everyone is angry," he said. "The conspirators won’t be spared at any cost… This is disrespectful and I feel hurt."
