English
Unidentified miscreants reportedly ‘defaced’ the 125-foot statue of Dr BR Ambedkar– the tallest statue of the social justice icon in the world– in Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayawada on Friday and removed the name of former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy from the plaque.
According to reports, the plaque of the towering Statue of Social Justice, which was inaugurated by Jagan Reddy in January this year, was damaged by unidentified vandals on Friday, triggering protests from Dalit groups.
Condemning the act, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Merugu Nagarjuna said there was stiff opposition to the statue during the previous tenure of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and now the statue has been attacked during TDP chief’s current term.
The YSRCP has accused the Chandrababu Naidu-led dispensation of pursuing a vendetta against Ambedkar’s statue with Nagarjuna alleging that Friday’s incident seemed to have the TDP government’s fingerprints all over it.
YSRCP leader and former Nandigama MP Suresh accused the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of perpetrating violence and pursuing a personal vendetta against the opposition after the recent poll results which saw the Naidu-led party return to power in the state.
The gargantuan Statue Of Social Justice was unveiled and thrown open to the public by former Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on January 19 this year. The 125-foot statue, a tribute to Dr BR Ambedkar, is the tallest statue of the social justice icon in the world.
