Seven police personnel and a villager were injured after a violent clash broke out in a village in Budaun district of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday evening.
As per reports, a group had been attempting to install a statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on government land without prior administrative permission. The police and local administrative officials held discussions with the locals for nearly 12 to 13 hours to try to find an alternative location for the statue. However, the discussions did not reach a conclusion.
By 7:30 p.m., a group of people allegedly began pelting stones at the officials, triggering violence in the area.
Those among the injured included a police personnel, a second officer, Anshuman Srivastava, and a villager. More than 10 vehicles were reportedly damaged in the violence, including police vehicles, a Provincial Armed Constabulary truck, and an ambulance.
In order to bring the situation under control, authorities secured the statue and shifted it to the local temple complex.
Interacting with the media, Budaun Senior Superintendent of Police Sharma said seven people had been detained for questioning in connection with the incident.
According to District Magistrate Avinash Kumar Rai, the statue was being installed on restricted government land. As per revenue records, the land is designated as a community threshing ground.
Security has been heightened in the area to maintain law and order. The police are examining drone footage and gathering local intelligence as part of their investigation.