PATNA: A statue of dalit icon Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar was found damaged at Nauvagadhi under the Naya Ramnagar police station area in Munger district on Monday morning, leading to protests and blockade of Munger-Bhagalpur NH-80 by local people for several hours.This was incidentally the third incident of damaging Ambedkar’s statue in the state this month. Earlier, people protesting job reservations damaged and tried to uproot a life-size Ambedkar’s statue in Sheikhpura district during nationwide bandh called on April 10. In Nawada, too, a statue of Ambedkar was found partially damaged hours before the nationwide anti-reservation bandh the same day.According to reports, the right arm of the statue was broken on Sunday night. On Monday, the local villagers blocked the NH-80 and the local administration had to toil hard for around four hours to remove the agitated people from the spot.Munger SP Ashish Bharti said an FIR was lodged against unidentified persons in this connection. “Police got the information about the damaged statue this morning, following which an FIR was lodged against unnamed persons. While the statue was repaired with the help of locals, we have assured them of constructing a new statue very soon,” Bharti told TOI.The SP said though the reason behind damaging the statue could not be ascertained, but strict vigil was being kept in the area to prevent any unrest.Opposition RJD has cornered the ruling NDA government comprising JD(U), BJP , LJP and RLSP over attack on several Ambedkar’s statues in the state. “It is unfortunate that the government is not able to protect even statues of Babasaheb Ambedkar. The government is mainly driven by the anti-dalit policies of the BJP; hence, such indents are happening. CM Nitish Kumar has failed to maintain communal harmony and social equity,” RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari said.

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