CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police on Tuesday arrested a man for trying to damage the statue of Dr B R Ambedkar in Phillaur town of Jalandhar district. The accused has been identified as Bhiku Meena (25), a resident of Jawania village in Husan Nijra district of Madhya Pradesh. He was arrested after police scanned the CCTV footage, which showed him throwing a stone and a flower pot at the statue on Monday midnight. However, he managed to break just the glass shield around it.
The accused has been booked for hurting religious sentiments following a complaint by some groups. Jalandhar (Rural) SSP Naveen Singla has claimed that the accused is mentally unstable. A local hotelier also said that the same for the accused, adding that he usually roamed about in the area as people gave him food.
Chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi described it as a tragic incident and urged the people to exercise restraint. He said an exemplary action will be ensured against the miscreants indulging in these types of dastardly acts. No one will be allowed to disturb the hardearned peace in the state, the chief minister said, adding that he has already directed the director general of police (DGP) to enhance surveillance in every nook and corner of the state.
Channi has said that being a border state, the situation in Punjab always remains sensitive but the state government is fully vigilant to deal with it and crush the nefarious designs of anti-social and antinational elements who try to create unrest in the state. He added that exemplary action will be taken against any person who tried to disturb the law and order situation in the state through such acts. Seeking fulsome cooperation of the people, the chief minister requested them to play a proactive role in cementing the ethos of communal harmony, peace and brotherhood to make Punjab the most peaceful and communally harmonious state.
