Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Vandals defile Ambedkar statue

Solidarity: Members of Dalit organisations staging a road blockade in Gulbarga city on Tuesday in protest against the defilement of the Ambedkar statue in Jewargi town.

GULBARGA: The defilement of a statue of B.R. Ambedkar in Jewargi town sparked off widespread protests, sporadic incidents of violence and bandhs in different parts of the district on Tuesday.

Enraged by the vandalism, Dalits enforced a bandh in Jewargi and pelted vehicles with stones. This brought traffic to a halt on the busy Gulbarga-Jewargi National Highway and the Jewargi-Sankeshwar National Highway.

While two North-East Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) buses were stoned in Kallur (B) and Chigaralli Cross, an abortive attempt was made to set fire to another NEKRTC bus at Aurad (B) on the Jewargi-Shahapur National Highway. A group of youths set fire to the tyres of the bus, but people rushed to the spot and put out the fire after chasing away the youths.

Last year also the Ambedkar statue in Jewargi, which is located just a stone’s throw away from the Jewargi police station, was the target of vandals, and the incident sparked off violence in Jewargi and other towns. The police arrested a Dalit in connection with the vandalism, and the case is still pending in court.

Additional police personnel were rushed to Jewargi from Gulbarga city to maintain law and order and patrol the highways. One jeep and two two-wheelers were also damaged in stone throwing at Kattisangavi in Jewargi taluk.

Deputy Commissioner Pankajkumar Pandey, who rushed to Jewargi along with senior police officials, chaired a peace committee meeting with the Dalits. Responding to the demand to immediately arrest the culprits responsible for the defilement of the statue and banish them from the district, the official said that the police had some clues and arrests would be made soon.

Mr. Pandey also said that the Sub-Inspector of the Jewargi police station had been transferred.

Even as news about the defilement of the statue spread, protests were witnessed throughout the district. Dalit organisations staged road blockades and called for bandh in various places. According to reports received here, protests and rasta roko agitations were held at Shahapur, Surpur, Yedrami, Kattisangavi, Farhatabad and other towns.

In Gulbarga city, workers of the Dalit Sena and other Dalit organisations led by senior leaders Shivaram Moga and Vittal Doddamani staged a road blockade in front of the City Central Bus Stand forced shops and commercial establishments in and around the bus stand to close. Buses were not allowed to enter or leave the bus stand for more than an hour.

Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (Sagar) activists led by State convener D.G. Sagar and organising convener Malleshi Sajjan staged a road blockade in front of the Deputy Commissioners office here for more than an hour demanding the arrest of the culprits responsible for defiling the statue.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers led by State Secretariat member Maruti Manpade staged a separate demonstration in front of the Vallabhbhai Patel Chowk here and submitted a memorandum demanding adequate protection for statues of national leaders and steps to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

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