MHA asks States to take all necessary measures to prevent 'statue vandalism'

New Delhi, March 7: In what appears to be politics of 'statue vandalism', the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a warning against incidents of vandalism on statues of famous personalities in 'certain parts of the country'.

The Home Ministry statement said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed 'his strong disapproval' over the incidents. The Prime Minister spoke to Home Minister Rajnath Singh in this regard and expressed his strong disapproval of such incidents.

In an advisory to all states and union territories, the Home Ministry said incidents of toppling of statues have been reported from certain parts of the country and it has taken serious note of such incidents of vandalism.

The ministry also assured that enough central and state forces were available at the disposal of the state government to tackle the situation.

A statue of communist epoch maker Vladimir Illyich Lenin was brought down at Belonia town in South Tripura on Monday, while there were reports of a statue of iconic social reformer and founder of Dravidian movement EV Ramasamy ‘Periyar’ being vandalised in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district last night.

Also, a group of miscreants vandalized a bust of Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee in West Bengal on Wednesday. The face of the statue at Kolkata's Kalighat was smeared with black ink and a banner carrying a message left near it. BJP has condemned the barbaric act.