Unidentified miscreants allegedly used an excavator to uproot and remove a statue of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, at Poilapool in the Lakhipur sub-division of Assam’s Cachar district late Monday night.
The incident took place at a four-way junction in the busy Poilapool market area and sparked outrage among local residents and political parties, particularly the Indian National Congress.
Sources said the statue was pulled down using heavy machinery and later taken away. CCTV footage from a nearby shop reportedly shows a group of unidentified individuals operating an excavator to dislodge the statue before loading it onto a vehicle. The identities of those involved have not yet been established.
Police reached the spot after being alerted and initiated an investigation. “We are examining CCTV footage and gathering other evidence to identify those responsible. Necessary legal action will be taken,” a police official said on Tuesday.
Former Silchar district Congress president Pradip Kumar Dey, accompanied by party workers, lodged an FIR at Lakhipur Police Station demanding immediate arrests. Dey stated that the statue had been installed in the 1990s by former Assam minister and local MLA Dinesh Prasad Goala at the Poilapool junction, a key commercial centre in the area.
Describing the act as “deeply condemnable,” Congress leaders questioned how heavy equipment could be used in a public place without drawing immediate attention. They alleged that the incident appeared to be premeditated and demanded strict action against those responsible.
Several local organisations also denounced the vandalism and called for swift arrests. Tension prevailed in the area on Tuesday, although no untoward incident was reported. Police said security has been intensified in the locality to prevent escalation as the investigation continues.
