LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Deoghar, Aug 9: Some unidentified miscreants vandalised the martyr Salamat Ali statue that was erected in the centre of Shahid Memorial Park in Rohini under Jasidih Police Station on the intervening night of August 8-9.
Notably, this was the location from where the ‘Bharat Jodo Padyatra’ of Congress was to begin today. Jharkhand Agriculture Minister Badal Patra Lekh was to flag off the Padyatra.
Talking to Lagatar24.com correspondent, the park’s guard said that he heard some noises at the midnight. He came to the dais where the statues of the martyrs have been fixed and found the statue lying on the ground. He said that due to the unavailability of a power supply in the park, he couldn’t see anyone.
The statue, which was on the front portion of the dais, has been badly damaged on many sides by the miscreants. Its hands are missing too. The sword of Amanat Ali is also missing.
The local management informed the police in the early morning. Circle officer Motilal Murmu reached the site to take a first-hand report of the site. He said that he has been deployed by Deoghar SDM Abhijit Sinha to take account of the incident. He also reprimanded the guard for not informing the local police soon after he noticed the incident.
After the incident, the venue of the Congress programme has now been changed to elsewhere.
Reacting to the incident, Congress district president Munnam Sanjay claimed that the incident is the work of the opposition to disturb the party’s programme.
Meanwhile, the police force has been deployed at the gate of the park.
Salamat Ali, Amanat Ali and Shekh Haro were hanged by a tree on 16th June 1857 in the same locality for attacking British Army Officers on 12th June 1857. Their statues have been erected at the Shahid Memorial Park in Rohini under Jasidih Police Station in Deoghar.