Mumbai: Violent protests broke out in Parbhani city of Maharashtra after a replica of the Constitution held by the statue of B.R. Ambedkar was allegedly vandalised. The incident sparked widespread outrage, with protesters engaged in stone pelting and torching vehicles which prompted police to issue prohibitory orders banning the gathering of five or more persons in public places.
According to police, an unidentified person on Tuesday had damaged a replica of the Constitution held by the statue of Ambedkar outside Parbhani railway station. A 'bandh' was called by the locals in the Vasmat area of the city, during which the violence erupted. A mob of unidentified people threw stones and damaged vehicles.
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the collector's office and some of them rushed inside and damaged furniture and window panes.
Parbhani Police said that tear gas shells were fired to control the crowd. A large number of police forces were deployed to control the unruly crowd.
The situation was brought under control with the deployment of additional forces after two and a half hours. One person was detained by the police after the violence.
Parbhani's district magistrate (DM) Raghunath Gawade, said one of the accused has been detained and Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been imposed to restrict mass gatherings.
“Section 163 of BNS has been imposed in Parbhani, prohibiting mass gatherings. The tensions erupted due to an incident involving damage to the replica of the Constitution. One accused has been detained. We appeal to all citizens to maintain peace in the city,” Gawade said.
Meanwhile, Dalit leader and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi president Prakash Ambedkar extended his support to the protesters. He wrote on X, “The vandalisation of the Constitution of India at Babasaheb’s statue by casteist Maratha miscreants in Parbhani is absolutely very shameful to say the least. It is not the first time such a vandalism of Babasaheb’s statue or symbol of Dalit identity has happened. VBA Parbhani District karyakartas were the first to be on the scene and their protests led to the police filing an FIR and arresting one of the miscreants. I request everyone to maintain law and order. If all the miscreants are not arrested within the next 24 hours, consequences will follow.”
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar blamed the state government accusing of ‘lax approach’ after the incident came to light. Had necessary action been taken promptly, the violence could have been avoided, he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said desecration of the Constitution's replica was condemnable. Demanding strict action against the culprits, he also appealed to the protesters to conduct their agitation peacefully.