HYDERABAD: Kalur Thimma Doddi police resorted to lathicharge to disperse two warring factions after miscreants pelted stones during the installation of the statue of B.R. Ambedkar in Irkichedu village of JogulambaGadwal district on Thursday.
Tension gripped the village when two groups clashed with each other at the main centre of Irkichedu. Some people, opposed to the installation at the place, set fire to the statue and tried to damage it in the presence of police.
Kalur Thimma Doddi SI suffered mild burn injuries. Gadwal DSP N. Ranga Swamy said that there were disturbances when one group insisted that the statue be installed in the school premises and not at the chosen spot. The gram panchayat had in 2015 consented to install Ambedkar’s statue at one of the three places that were identified-the school premises, the main centre and another place in the village.
However, when being installed at the main centre, the other group said that the statue should not be installed near a place of worship.
“Kalur Thimma Doddi SI and police teams visited the place and tried to solve the issue. In the meanwhile, miscreants poured petrol on the statue and set it ablaze. The SI suffered mild injuries,” the DSP said. Police have registered rioting cases and detained nine persons.
