Cops attacked over removal of Ambedkar statue in Bhadohi

Varanasi: A mob of angry local residents attacked a police team removing an idol of BR Ambedkar from a government land near Munshilatpur stadium in Bhadohi district on Saturday morning, resulting in minor injuries to three female constables.“The police had reached the place after receiving the news of construction of a platform and installation of the idol overnight without any permission from the officials concerned,” said CO Bhadohi Bhubaneshwar Kumar Pandey, adding that 11 persons, including three women, had been arrested in this connection. The injured women cops were given first aid.Tension gripped Munshilatpur area when locals noticed on Saturday morning that an Ambedkar idol had been installed after constructing a platform on the land of a waterbody located near the stadium. As the people involved in installing the idol also reached there, both the groups came face to face. On receiving the news, CO Bhadohi reached the spot with heavy police force. SDM Shiv Prakash Yadav and tehsildar Vijay Yadav also reached there.One group indulged in brick batting when the cops tried to remove the illegally installed idol, forcing the police to use mild force to disperse the mob.“However, when 11 men and women continued misbehaving with the officials and police personnel,” the CO said, “They were arrested. Later, the cops took the idol to Bhadohi police station.”In view of the tension prevailing in the area, police force was deployed to avoid recurrence of any untoward incident.