Clashes erupted between the upper caste Patidars, who are reportedly close to the ruling BJP party, and members of the Dalit community in Makdon village of Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, on Thursday, January 24 over the installation of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and BR Ambedkar.
According to police, the Patidar community, commonly known as Patels, have been demanding to install Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s statue for quite some time. On the other hand, the Dalit community led by the Bhim Army have been demanding that it should have Dr B R Ambedkar’s statue instead of Patel’s. The land has been a topic of dispute for quite some time, police said.
On Wednesday night, January 23, members of the Patidar community reportedly erected Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s statue overnight, unknown to the Dalit community.
Matters became worse the following day when angry Dalit members threw stones and bricks at the statue. It soon took a violent turn when Dalits tried to bulldoze the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
At least three persons, including a sub-inspector were injured, police said.
Women were seen throwing bricks and sticks at Patel’s statue. The act was caught on camera.
Ujjain’s additional superintendent of police Nitesh Bhargava said cases were registered and police have been deployed to maintain any further incidents of violence. No casualties have been reported so far.
Patidars, unable to digest the insult, clashed with the Dalit community. As both sides entered into a full-throttle fight, many nearby shops were vandalised and vehicles were set on fire.
