Ambedkar Statue Vandalized, Amritsar Mayor Election Controversy

A 24-year old man identified as Akash Singh from Dharamkot village from Moga district was arrested on 26 Jan for vandalizing Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar’s statue in Amritsar. The attempt to vandalize the statue triggered widespread outrage and sparked accusations that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has failed to maintain law and order. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar confirmed that sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Indian Penal Code) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act had been invoked against the vandal. Dalit (marginalized caste) organizations observed a shutdown, condemning the attempt and demanding accountability. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijay Sampla initially blamed the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee but the statue is located outside the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) complex. The area falls under Amritsar municipality so the blame did not stick. Leaders from the Shiromani Akali Dal, Indian National Congress (INC), and Bahujan Samaj Party criticized Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s government, accusing it of negligence and urging an impartial inquiry. While the uproar was on, on 27 Jan, Amritsar politics took another dramatic turn when AAP’s Jatinder Singh Moti Bhatia assumed charge as the mayor of the city. Though the INC emerged as the single-largest party in December’s municipal elections, it alleged that AAP had misused government machinery to secure top posts, including that of mayor, senior deputy mayor, and deputy mayor, despite apparently lacking a majority. INC has challenged Bhatia’s legitimacy and the party declared it would move the Punjab and Haryana High Court over alleged irregularities. INC councillors, led by Vikas Soni, staged a protest at the Municipal Corporation office, decrying that rooms were locked to block their entry. AAP denied wrongdoing, insisting the voting process was lawful and transparent.