Three people were on Monday arrested for allegedly vandalising the statue of Bhimrao Ambedkar in Bani area of Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir.
Desecration of the statue has been condemned by political and social activists.
An FIR was registered under section 196 and 324(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Bani police station after a complaint about the desecration of the statue at a public park, officials said.
Section 196 criminalises promoting hatred, disharmony, or enmity between different groups based on religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste, or community, while Section 324(2) deals with the offence of mischief.
The statue was found damaged in the Bani area on Sunday, sparking protests by local residents, including those of Dalit community who demanded stern action against the culprits.
Meanwhile, Congress leader and former minister Yashpal Kundal condemned the incident and said, “It is not merely the destruction of stone and metal, but an assault on the self-respect of marginalized communities and the principles enshrined in the Constitution.” He said Ambedkar showed the path of equality and justice to the nation.
“Targeting his statue is a direct attack on those very ideals, and such acts will not be tolerated,” he said, urging the administration to identify and punish the culprits and also ensure that such incidents are never repeated.
Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokesperson and former vice-chairman of the J&K Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes & Backward Classes Development Corporation, Balbir Ram Rattan, has strongly condemned the act of vandalism in the Manjri Park, Bani, where the statue of Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was desecrated.
He termed the incident not just a shameful act of disrespect, but a deliberate attempt by anti-national and divisive elements to disturb peace, unity, and social harmony in the region.
Balbir said that such an act is not merely an attack on a statue but a direct assault on the spirit of the Indian Constitution and the values of equality, unity, and fraternity that Ambedkar envisioned for the nation.
He said that Dr. Ambedkar’s teachings remind us that every citizen deserves equal rights, respect, and opportunity. We must uphold those values and defeat hatred with democracy and solidarity, he added.