Ambedkar statue demolished during eviction drive

A statue of B R Ambedkar was demolished here, the district headquarters town of Mayurbhanj district, during an eviction drive launched by the local civic authorities and district administration.
To protest the demolition carried out by the local civic authorities and the district administration yesterday, around 500 people including women and children of Darogadahi area today assembled at the site and staged a dharna demanding arrest of officials responsible for the demolition and re-installation of the statue of Ambedkar.
A delegation led by former Zila Parishad chairman Bhadav Hansda and JMM state spokesman and former chief of Baripada Municipality Krushna Nanda Mohanty called on the District Collector, Mayurbhanj, Rajesh Pravakar Patil and submitted a memorandum demanding arrest of the officials responsible for demolition and re-installation of the statue.

Expressing his regret over the demolition, the district collector said a similar statue would be installed at a suitable place in the same area before the birth anniversary of the great leader on April 14 and the district administration would honour him at the place on that day.
The statue of Ambedkar was installed by Baripada Municipality in 1994.