Rajasthan: Clashes erupt in Bharatpur over installation of Ambedkar statue
The Bharatpur district administration has decided to install a statue of Bhim Rao Ambedkar on April 14 at the intersection of Balera village in Nabadai. However, the move was allegedly opposed by the Jat community who wants a statue of Maharaja Surajmal at the same location
Clashes erupted in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district on Wednesday night over the installation of the Bhim Rao Ambedkar statue where thousands of protestors of two communities gathered and indulged in stone pelting at each other and police personnel, officials said.
The incident took place at Belara village under Nadbai legislative assembly where protestors blocked the Bharatpur-Nadbai highway.
The Bharatpur district administration has decided to install a statue of Bhim Rao Ambedkar on April 14 at the intersection of Balera village in Nabadai. However, the move was allegedly opposed by the Jat community who wants a statue of Maharaja Surajmal at the same location.
On April 9, people led by Bhupendra Singh, deputy pradhan of panchayat samiti, Nadbai, had gathered at the Belara intersection to protest against the district administration demanding installation of Maharaja Surajmal statue at the Belara intersection, which connects Bharatpur to Nadbai from Jaipur-Agra national highway-21.
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The protest was withdrawn on April 10 after cabinet minister Vishvendra Singh agreed to their demand. However, tensions erupted after Vishvendra Singh on Wednesday, during a press conference announced the installation of an Ambedkar statue at the same venue.
Jogendra Singh, sub-division magistrate, Nadbai, said the administration has decided to install three statues of Maharaja Surajmal, founder of Bharatpur, Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Bhagwan Parshuram at three intersections.
He confirmed that the Ambedkar statue will be installed at the main intersection on April 14. “The divisional commissioner of Bharatpur Samwar Lal Verma gave us an order in writing to establish a statue of Ambedkar. We are convincing agitating people,” he said.
However, Verma said that a committee has passed the proposal to set up statues at intersections, however, no written order has been passed yet.
Meanwhile, as the Wednesday night protest escalated, police teams, along with riot control vehicles were deployed in the area to take control of the situation. However, the protestors also damaged police vehicles and pelted stones at them.
Additional superintendent of police (ASP) Raghuvir Singh Kabiya said police have been deployed here where the statue of Ambedkar was proposed but protesters started pelting stones at the cops. “We are trying to maintain the law and order,” he said.
