Violence erupted in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri on Tuesday evening after a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar was found vandalised during the Ambedkar Jayanti. The incident reportedly took place in Motipur village under Bankeyganj Police Station in Lakhimpur Kheri.
According to the information, the news of the broken statue spread like fire, prompting fierce protests by the villagers.
The agitators took over the streets and blocked the roads in protest.
Eyewitnesses said that preparations were underway to install a statue of Dr Ambedkar on the land of a Buddhist monastery that had been vacant for a long time in the village. On Tuesday, the villagers installed the statue. After the installation, most of the villagers left to attend the rally, leaving mainly women at the site.
Upon their return, the statue was found broken, which led to massive violence. The protestors pelted stones and resorted to violence. targeted the police vehicles. A Circle Officer's car was vandalised in the attack. The video of the violence has surfaced on social media.
The police had to resort to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd, which added to the anger of the protestors and raised tensions in the area. A video from the spot, showing a crowd of women and girls confronting the police team, has gone viral on social media.
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During the chaos, a woman was reportedly beaten by the mob, which caused her serious injuries. The police managed to rescue her and sent her to the hospital. It is said that the woman was opposing the installation of the statue.
According to the latest information, a heavy police force has been deployed in the village, and the violence has been brought under control. The situation, however remains tense as police have carried out a flag march in the village.