LUCKNOW: A marble statute of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati , installed at Ambedkar Park in Gomtinagar, Lucknow, has been beheaded.

A little known political outfit UP Navnirman Sena has taken responsibility of the incident. Sena leaders in a press conference claimed that their volunteers had wrecked the statue. They said that the destruction of the statue was "their way to express anger against the scams which took place under the Mayawati regime."

Interestingly, the UP police registered an FIR under section 295 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which prescribes two years imprisonment for "damaging place of worship and things considered sacred by a group or section of people".

The IPC Section 295 states "Injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class. Whoever destroys, damages or defiles any place of worship, or any object held sacred by any class of persons with the intention of thereby insulting the religion of any class of persons or with the knowledge that any class of persons is likely to consider such destruction, damage or defilement as a insult to their religion, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both."

The group leaders said that they have asked chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to issue directions for the removal of all the statutes of Mayawati installed at various places in the state. The Sena has given an ultimatum of 48 hours to the government.

According to the security personnel at Ambedkar Park, six people on two bikes came, and before anybody could realize anything, they took out hammers and 'beheaded' the statute.

The security of the parks and memorials of 'dalit' icons built by Mayawati was reduced substantially after Samajwadi Party (SP) came to power in March this year.

Senior police officials and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leaders rushed to the spot. Leader of opposition in the state and senior BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya has held the SP government responsible for the incident. He said that this is an unfortunate incident which reflects anti-dalit mentality. He said that the BSP and 'dalits' will give a befitting reply.

Heavy police has been deployed in the area. Security arrangements at other dalit memorials in Lucknow have been beefed up.

Before coming to power, the SP had said that it will demolish Mayawati's statutes, but later changed its position and committed itself to not resorting to vendetta politics.

UP Congress chief Rita Bahugan Joshi also condemned the incident and saw it as a security lapse. Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) state president Laxmi Kant Bajpai said that the incident reflected poor law and order in the state.

Police has detained three persons in connection with the incident. One of them has been identified as Amit Jani, former member of Shiv Sena in UP, who was present in the press conference held by UP Navnirman Sena. Jani belongs to Meerut and has several criminal pending against him. He quit Shiv Sena when Raj Thackeray formed Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and floated UP Navnirvan Sena. He was also accused of setting afire Shiv Sena's office in Meerut.

Interestingly, the FIR has been lodged by the police in section 295 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which prescribes two years imprisonment for "damaging place of worship and things considered sacred by a group or section of people".

The IPC Section 295 states, "Injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class. Whoever destroys, damages or defiles any place of worship, or any object held sacred by any class of persons with the intention of thereby insulting the religion of any class of persons or with the knowledge that any class of persons is likely to consider such destruction, damage or defilement as a insult to their religion, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both".

Govt will get Mayawati statue repaired: Akhilesh

UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has condemned the incident. He said that the act has been done by anti-social elements to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in the state. He said that state government will get the statute repaired.

