Shahjahanpur (UP), Mar 26 (PTI) Statues of freedom fighters that were demolished in Shahjahanpur district have been reinstalled within 24 hours, following directions from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, officials said on Thursday.
The Congress party has demanded a probe into the incident.
Municipal Commissioner Dr Vipin Kumar Mishra on Thursday told PTI that statues of Thakur Roshan Singh, Ashfaqulla Khan and Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil at the Town Hall tri-junction have been reinstalled with the efforts of the municipal corporation team.
He assured that the statues have been properly installed, and the remaining work, including the construction of sheds and beautification, will be completed within a week.
Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi said a case has already been registered against a Lucknow-based firm, Fly Infratech, on the complaint of the municipal corporation’s chief engineer in connection with the demolition of the statues on Tuesday.
Police teams are currently inspecting the site and reviewing CCTV footage from nearby areas as part of the investigation, he added.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders have demanded a high-level probe by an independent agency. Party coordinator and National Mazdoor Congress district president Pawan Kumar Singh sent a letter to the chief minister, demanding accountability not only for labourers or JCB operators but also for the officials and leaders involved.
He alleged that such an incident could not have occurred without administrative involvement and expressed his surprise that local MLA and state finance minister Suresh Khanna had not spoken on the issue.
Singh asserted that only an independent inquiry could uncover the facts and ensure that those responsible are punished.
The incident had triggered widespread outrage after the statues were allegedly bulldozed in the name of beautification on Sunday night and their remains dumped at a garbage site. Several organisations staged protests demanding action, following which the chief minister ordered an FIR and suspension of a junior engineer and an assistant engineer.
Political leaders across various parties have claimed that the act may have been carried out under the direction of officials and have called for a thorough investigation.
In a separate protest, social worker Salman Nabi expressed his distress over the incident by staging a unique demonstration near the Khannaut River. He dug a grave, lay in it, and placed a national flag nearby, demanding the arrest of those responsible.
Nabi stated that those involved in disrespecting the martyrs should be jailed, adding that while British rulers once oppressed revolutionaries, “now even independent India is witnessing disrespect towards martyrs,” he alleged. PTI COR KIS MPL MPL
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