Gandhi’s statue damaged in Palwal

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Palwal, February 28

The district administration has ordered an investigation into the alleged damage to a statue of Mahatma Gandhi installed at government-owned Panchayat and Community Centre here.

The statue was found damaged this morning. No case has been registered.

“The six-foot statue was installed on October 2, 2013, on a request by the district administration,” said Om Prakash Gupta, convener of the Shri Vaish-Aggarwal Vivah Samiti.

He claimed he received information about the damage around 11 am today. “I found the right hand and the stick of the statue on the ground. It appears some miscreants damaged the statue.”

He said the matter was brought to the notice of the District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO).

Dev Vrat, SHO of the camp police station, said he had received a complaint from the guard of the bhawan that monkeys strayed into the premises on Sunday morning and perhaps damaged the statue.

Deputy Commissioner Ashok Sharma said he had asked officials, including the police, to investigate into the matter and take action if the involvement of miscreants was established.

He claimed the incident was not connected with an inter-community (caste) rivalry. “The administration is looking into the matter and will take action if anyone is found responsible or if there is negligence on the part of staff,” he added.

Palwal has an historical connection with Gandhi. He was arrested at a railway station here for the first time on April 10, 1919, when he was on his way to Punjab to take part in a meeting during the Non-Cooperation Movement.