Dalits purify ‘garlanded’ Ambedkar statue in UP

Lucknow: A group of dalit lawyers in Meerut district bathed a statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar with milk and gangajal to “purify” it after it was garlanded by BJP state secretary Sunil Bansal on Friday.

Mr Bansal was in Meerut to attend the state executive of the BJP.

The lawyers said that the Ambedkar statue installed near the district court had turned ‘impure’ after the BJP leader touched it.

“We are purifying this statue because Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) leader and BJP MP Rakesh Sinha also came and garlanded it. The BJP government oppresses dalits and they have nothing to do with Ambedkar, but they still they use his name just to promote their party and attract the dalit community”, said one of the lawyers.

It may be recalled that in a similar incident some time ago, a temple was “purified” in Hamirpur after BJP MLA Manisha Anuragi visited it and offered prayers. Anuragi had visited the temple on 12 July while she was in her Assembly constituency to attend a function.