Vandalism of Mahatma’s statue sparks outrage

Sultanpur: A statue of Mahatma Gandhi was found vandalised in a village here, leaving the local residents outraged, police said on Tuesday.

A probe has been launched to identify the miscreants, a police officer said.

Local villagers installed the statue in 1996 along the Lucknow-Ballia Highway near Chhedawari village. Police said it was vandalised on Monday night. Motigarpur Police Station in-charge Tarun Kumar Patel said, “We will soon arrest those responsible for the vandalism and undertake repairs of the statue as per administrative directives.”

The statue has been a focal point for Gandhi Jayanti celebrations in the area with officials and local residents paying homage each year. According to the villagers, beautification work of the statue was to commence soon. Amarjeet Pandey, who has been involved in maintaining the statue, said, “We have been taking care of the cleanliness and maintenance of the statue for years. It was repaired with community help in the past.” “This vandalism has caused great distress among the local residents. Immediate action should be taken against the perpetrators,” he said.