Man tried to vandalise BR Ambedkar statue near Golden Temple Heritage Street

New Delhi, January 28

A man tried to vandalise the statue of B R Ambedkar adjacent to Golden Temple in Amritsar’s Heritage Street.

The accused was identified as Akashdeep Singh, a resident of Dharamkot in Moga. 

He also tried to damage a sculpture depicting the Constitution placed beneath the statue, police informed. 

The police further said that he climbed up a ladder that was placed near the statue on the occasion of Republic Day. The ladder was there as several organisations usually garland the statue on Republic Day as a tribute to the ‘Father of the Constitution’.

The tourist department security staff present at the site apprehended the man. 

The SGPC said in a statement, “Linking this act to the corridor of Shri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) is entirely incorrect. The statue is located near the Partition Museum and Kotwali, where the government and administration hold full responsibility. While the outer corridor of Shri Harmandir Sahib also falls under government management, the statue is situated nearly a kilometer away from there.”

The Sikh institutions respect Dr B R Ambedkar and condemn the act of vandalism against his statue. However, Vijay Sampla linking this incident to Shri Harmandir Sahib and raising questions has created confusion among the public and the devotees. Such actions are highly condemnable. This kind of fabricated rhetoric and baseless allegations are unacceptable. Therefore, Sampla should withdraw his statement, as it is not right to create any form of misunderstanding among the devotees,” the statement added