Clash in Aligarh Over Ambedkar Statue: 10 Policemen Injured, Tensions Under Control

Ravi Singh

Aligarh, 28 January, 2025:

Tension reached the boiling point in Aligarh’s Roravar area after police on the intervening night of January 27 reportedly pulled down a newly erected statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in Ibrahimpur-Bhimpur village. Locals protested and the gathering turned violent, clashing with the police.

Enraged by the action, the crowd attacked police personnel, set six motorcycles ablaze, and vandalized four-wheel police vehicles. To control the situation, the police resorted to firing tear gas shells and even conducted aerial firing. The mob retaliated with heavy stone pelting, injuring more than ten police officers.

After the incident, a heavy police force has been deployed in the village to maintain law and order. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and other high-ranking officials are camping at the site to monitor the situation closely.

The unrest highlights the sensitivities in Uttar Pradesh with regards to the removal of Ambedkar statues, which had become a recurring flashpoint in various parts of the state. Local authorities are working to restore calm and are investigating the circumstances that led to the violence.

#Aligarh
थाना रोरावर- ग्राम भीमपुर में परसों से एक विषय चल रहा था, ग्राम के लोगों ने ग्राम सभा की जमीन पर एक अम्बेडकर जी की मूर्ति की स्थापनी की रातों रात, उससे पहले उस काम को थाने के द्वारा रुकवाया गया था, आधा बना हुआ था उसको रुकवाया गया था, उसके दो-तीन दिन उन लोगो के द्वारा… pic.twitter.com/5hKpo6QqQS

— ALIGARH POLICE (@aligarhpolice) January 28, 2025