The communal lenses of some parties do not allow them to let any issue slide without making a controversy out of it. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by BSP supremo Mayawati is a perfect example of how political leaders revel at any opportunity to get publicity, even if it involves making mountains out of a molehill.
The latest incident came from Durgaiya village in Kunwargaon area of Badaun. Miscreants had vandalized a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar on the 7th of April, which had led to widespread protests by the locals. The Badaun Administration in haste had arranged a statue from Agra following the protests and inauguration of the statue was held on Sunday the 8th of April.
The inauguration had made the local population happy and they had no problems whatsoever with the statue of Babasaheb.
But the 24 hour period had not passed since a new angle was started and used on this topic. BSP leader Himendra Gautam did not appreciate the calmness and swiftness with which the issue was dealt with. And on Monday the 9th of April, he came along with a painter and vandalized the statue again. Only this time it happened with colours.
The Ambedkar statue installed by the Badaun administration was saffron in colour. And that somehow was reason enough for the BSP leader to go ahead and vandalise a statue which the villagers were quite happy with. This news would now make it to the mainstream left leaning media and will be portrayed as an attempt by the BJP to saffronise the legacy of Baba Ambedkar. Nobody will mention that Gautam Buddha, the founder of the Buddhist religion, himself wore saffron. The political motive behind this act is out in the open, this is nothing more than a feeble but outrageous attempt by the BSP of snatching DR Ambedkar’s legacy for their personal good.
This useless act of vandalism will further heighten tensions between the communities who might feel even more threatened by the change in the political scenario and the acts being carried out to divide a personality who led the team that drafted the Constitution.
The local leader, Himendra Gautam from BSP can be seen laughing when he is asked about the vandalising act being carried out by him. He answers no questions being directed towards him by the media in a video by the ANI UP. Gautam was present at the statue inauguration site on Sunday, when the statue arrived from Agra and he had no qualms with the colour earlier. This again proves that this is nothing but agenda driven politics being done by Mayawati’s BSP which has been shunned by the public of Uttar Pradesh.
#WATCH: BSP leader Himendra Gautam, who repainted BR Ambedkar's statue from saffron to blue in Badaun, evades ANI reporter's question 'When the villagers had no objection to the colour of the statue, why was it re-painted to blue? You had earlier said Gautam Buddha wore saffron.' pic.twitter.com/CSHsjmC4cQ
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) April 10, 2018
Bharatiya Janta Party government in Uttar Pradesh has reaffirmed the beliefs of the public about giving a stable and fair society for all. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was announced to receive the “Dalit Mitra” award by the Ambedkar Mahasabaha president Lalji Prasad ‘Nirmal’. Nirmal has confirmed the decision to confer the ‘Dalit Mitra’ award on Adityanath by saying,”Adityanath was a friend of all the citizens of Uttar Pradesh and hence he was also a “friend of the Dalits”.
These statements must have struck fear in the hearts of BSP and other opposition parties which decided to indulge in acts of vandalism to draw back some support in their favour. While it remains to be seen what action the government will take in this regard, these types of acts should be criticised and leaders who indulge in these behaviours should be penalized.