Ambedkar statue vandalised again in Hoshiarpur, banned Khalistani outfit claims responsibility

In Noorpur Jattan village of Hoshiarpur district, a statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar , a towering symbol of social justice and principal architect of India’s constitution, was vandalised for the second time in less than a year on Tuesday, police said. The bust, which stood atop a private building and was protected by a glass casing , was struck with a rod‑like object, breaking the casing and damaging the statue despite the safeguards. Police teams are analysing surrounding CCTV footage as there were no cameras installed at the immediate site.

Later, a video circulated on social media in which Gurpatwant Singh Pannun , leader of the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) , purportedly claimed responsibility, linking the act to his campaign for a Khalistan “referendum” and deriding the constitutional legacy of Ambedkar. Authorities are still verifying the authenticity of the video , and a new case has been registered against Pannun and unidentified persons. Police officials also noted that the statue’s isolated location on private property made it vulnerable and that discussions to move it to a more secure, public spot had not produced consensus.

This attack echoes an incident in June last year , when the same statue was vandalised and an FIR was filed, and in that earlier case two people were arrested . Local police and senior officials reached the village to calm rising tensions.

Political leaders from across the spectrum condemned the desecration as an attempt to disturb social harmony . Avtar Singh Karimpuri , Punjab unit chief of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) , visited the site with workers, demanded that the perpetrators be arrested within 72 hours , and announced a public rally on April 18 to press for better protection of Dalit icons’ statues. He warned of a state‑wide agitation if action was not taken. Meanwhile, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar decried the act as a sign of collapsed governance and urged strict action against those responsible, warning of broader efforts to sow division.

The incident has heightened unease in the Doaba region , an area with one of the state’s highest concentrations of Dalits, where symbols of constitutional equality carry deep cultural meaning.