Shahjahanpur (UP), March 27 A fresh controversy has erupted in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, with questions being raised about whether the statues of the martyrs of the Kakori Action, which were reinstalled after a demolition drive, are new or repaired old ones.
The controversy began after statues of freedom fighters, including Ashfaqullah Khan, Roshan Lal, and Ram Prasad Bismil, which were installed outside the Municipal Corporation office at Town Hall, were allegedly demolished using a bulldozer earlier this week. A video showing the damaged statues went viral on social media.
Initially, Municipal Commissioner Vipin Kumar Mishra had said that new statues would be installed. However, after the reinstallation, he claimed that the old statues had been repaired and reinstalled, sparking a political controversy.
When asked about the change in stance, Mishra told
"Upon inspection, it was found that the statues were intact and made of marble; only their foundations were damaged, which have now been repaired," he said.
However, the opposition questioned this move. Congress district president Rajneesh Gupta alleged that the broken statues had been reinstalled, adding that, according to belief, damaged idols are not worshipped and are usually immersed in the Ganga.
Meanwhile, a suspended assistant engineer, Manoj Kumar, claimed that he was on leave and out of the district when the statues were demolished.
He also alleged that the demolition was carried out on the orders of the municipal commissioner. Mishra has termed the allegation as baseless and said he is ready for an inquiry.
The Uttar Pradesh government had earlier taken cognizance of the incident, and action was initiated against the executing agency, while a junior engineer and assistant engineer were suspended.
Congress workers on Friday took out a torch march and performed a symbolic "purification" ritual on the reinstalled statues of the Kakori Action martyrs, days after the idols were allegedly demolished and dumped at a garbage site, triggering outrage.
The protest came a day after the statues of the freedom fighters were reinstalled at the Town Hall tri-junction, following directions from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The statues of Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, and Roshan Singh, who hailed from Shahjahanpur, were installed at the Shaheed memorial site along a road outside the municipal corporation office here and were regularly garlanded by visiting public representatives.
Freedom fighters Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, and Roshan Singh were hanged by the British on December 19, 1927, for looting a train that was carrying government funds in August 1925 near Kakori, Lucknow.
Their statues were allegedly demolished on Sunday night. A video purportedly showing the statues being razed and their debris dumped at a garbage site was posted on social media, drawing sharp reactions. Protests were held by the local Congress unit and a Hindu outfit.
On Tuesday evening, Shahjahanpur Police lodged an FIR against the company under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 196(2) (promoting enmity affecting harmony at religious places) and 352 (intentional insult). Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi said that the municipal corporation's chief engineer lodged a complaint at Sadar Bazar police station.