Hoshiarpur, March 31 A statue of B.R. Ambedkar, installed on top of a building in Noorpur Jattan village here, was vandalized on Tuesday by some unidentified individuals, police said.
A rod-like object was used to damage the statue, which was encased in toughened glass, they said.
Later in the day, a video surfaced on social media in which pro-Khalistan leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) purportedly claimed responsibility for the vandalism.
Officials said they are examining the video for verification.
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Garhshankar, Daljit Singh Khakh, said a case has been registered against unknown people.
Police said no CCTV cameras were installed there, but their teams are examining camera footage from nearby areas.
This is not the first such incident.
In June last year, the same statue was vandalized, following which an FIR was registered.
Meanwhile, members of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), led by its Punjab unit chief Avtar Singh Karimpuri, visited the spot and protested.
Karimpuri condemned the act and demanded that the accused be arrested within 72 hours.
He also announced a party rally in the village on April 18, demanding protection for the Dalit icon's statues.
Karimpuri attacked both the AAP-led Punjab government and the BJP-led central government, alleging that they failed to protect Ambedkar's statue.
He said this is the ninth incident of statue vandalism in the region.
Karimpuri asserted that the acts are part of a larger political conspiracy to disturb social harmony and marginalize the Dalit community.
Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar also condemned the incident and demanded immediate action from the state government.
Jakhar also appealed to the people of Punjab to remain vigilant against divisive forces and said certain forces operating from abroad are attempting to disturb peace in the state and are even targeting police stations.
He, however, expressed regret that the AAP-ruled state government "failed" to take effective action and said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann should focus on improving law and order in Punjab instead of trying to "please" his Delhi-based leadership.
Former Union minister Som Parkash too flayed the incident and said it has deeply hurt the sentiments of the public in general and Dalits in particular.