Mayawati's statue vandalised, BSP slams Act

UP Nav Nirman Sena vandalized a life-sized marble statue of former UP chief minister Mayawati in Lucknow city on Thursday afternoon. The statue was broken minutes after the national president of the group, UP Navnirman Sena, told reporters at a press conference in the city that if the state government didn't dismantle Mayawati's statues, as promised before the assembly polls, his outfit would do it in the next 72 hours. State police chief A C Sharma said three youths, who helped the main suspect, Amit Jani, president of little known UP Navnirman Sena, hold a press conference here were arrested. The detained youths, however, claimed innocence. “We had only helped in organising the press conference,” Vishal Mishra, one of the detained youths, said. Sharma said Jani had a criminal past. “He faces seven criminal cases,” he added. Political parties, including the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP), decried the incident and demanded that the offenders be punished. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav ordered immediate repair of the statue. “It is a conspiracy to disturb the social harmony in the state,” he said. The marble statue of Mayawati had been installed at the B R Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal here along with the statues of several other dalit icons and a special security force had been formed for their protection.

Meanwhile BSP on its website reports SP supporters  damaged a statue of sister  Mayawati at the Ambedkar Park in Lucknow’s Gomtinagar area. According to reports, the mob reached the park around 1:30 pm on bikes with hammers and other tools and started damaging the statue. Attackers Amit  broke the hands and the head of the statue. BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya alleged that the state government is responsible for the attack. “It is the Samajwadi Party government behind the incident,” Maurya told media. However, Mayawati has reportedly urged his party workers to ´stay calm´.