Bhadohi (UP), Apr 11 (PTI) Tension prevailed in a village here after local authorities removed an Ambedkar statue installed without permission on a government land, police said on Friday.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation at Ekauni village in Bhadohi district, with heavy police deployment in place to prevent further unrest, they said.

According to Inspector-in-Charge of Suriyawan station Ajit Kumar Srivastava, the incident began when area revenue officer Pradeep Kumar Singh complained that a statue was erected on government land in Ekauni village without prior approval.

District officials said the land in question — plot number 460 — ”spans approximately 14 bighas and houses a government health centre and a waste disposal facility.

On Thursday, village head Vakeel Prasad and several locals built a two-foot-high platform on the site and installed a four-foot-high statue of Dr BR Ambedkar on it.

Upon receiving the complaint, a joint team of district and police officials arrived at the site at around 9 pm with a large police contingent.

However, hundreds of men and women from the local Dalit community protested against the removal of the statue. Police resorted to baton-charging to disperse the crowd and removed the statue, which has now been placed under police custody at the local station.

Inspector Srivastava said an FIR has been lodged under Sections 3 and 5 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act against several people, including Vakeel Prasad.

“Given the tension in the area, additional police force has been deployed to maintain law and order,” the inspector added. PTI COR KIS RUK RUK