The Madhya Pradesh High Court has pulled up the State Police for its failure to take action after a statue of B. R. Ambedkar was vandalised in Seoni district two months ago.

A division bench of Chief Justice S. K. Kait and Justice Vivek Jain issued notices to the police and the State Government on Wednesday and directed them to respond by May 7. The court was hearing a PIL filed by a Seoni resident.

According to the petition, a statue of the chief architect of the Constitution was damaged in Seoni’s Dhuma on February 10. While an FIR was filed against unidentified persons the same day, the police are yet to make any arrests.

The petition was filed by Jitendra Ahirwar, a local social activist, who alleged “inaction” on the local police’s part and sought the court’s intervention.

The bench said, “An affidavit signed by the Superintendent of Police, Seoni, and the Station House Officer of Police Station, Dhuma, shall be filed indicating as to why action has not been taken.”

Multiple incidents

Multiple incidents of Ambedkar statues being vandalised have been reported from various districts of Madhya Pradesh in the past few months.

In Ashok Nagar, the Dalit icon’s statue in Ambedkar Park was allegedly defaced early on Wednesday. The incident triggered protests by various political and social outfits, after which an FIR was filed by the local police.

Targeting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party over the incidents, the MP Congress president said Ambedkar was being “constantly humiliated” in the State and the Government “was a mute spectator.”

“The govt should cease its careless attitude and take strict action against such elements because the support extended to such elements is raising questions on the govt’s intentions,” he said on X.