Saturday, December 28News and updates from Kashmir

Rajiv Gandh’s Statue Vandalized in Ludhiana, Atal’s Statue to Come up in UP

December 25

A 25-feet high statue of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be installed in Lok Bhawan, the Uttar Pradesh government secretariat here, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday.

Adityanath made the announcement at a ceremony held to celebrate Vajpayee’s 94th birth anniversary. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, also the local MP, and Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik also attended the function.

Meanwhile, A statue of former prime minister of India Rajiv Gandhi was vandalised on Tuesday by some persons, who Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh claimed, owed allegiance to the Shiromani Akali Dal in the state.

The chief minister has asked the police to take action in the matter and identify the perpetrators. Paint was sprayed by the miscreants on the statue at the Salem Tabri area here, police said.

They carried out the act in full public glare and blamed Rajiv Gandhi for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, they said.

Condemning the incident, Singh tweeted, “Strongly condemn vandalisation of Rajiv Gandhi’s statue by @Akali_ Dal_ workers in Ludhiana. Have asked Police to identify the guilty & take strict action.”

Amarinder Singh also asked the SAD to apologise to the people of Punjab for this act.