Four held for vandalising statue of Don Bosco in Guwahati

Even as the police arrested four persons including a BJP councillor in connection with the vandalising of a statue of Don Bosco, which was scheduled to be unveiled by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Sunday, the Assam State Minorities Commission Saturday asked the state chief secretary and DGP to submit a detailed report on it.

The statue of Don Bosco was originally supposed to be established in the Dighalipukhuri-par Park but the location was shifted to Bharalumukh following protests by a group of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members Monday. On Friday, a group of unidentified miscreants pelted stones and allegedly attacked the labourers who were engaged to install the statue at Bharalumukh. Four police constables were also injured during the altercation.

The statue of Don Bosco, reportedly thrown into the Bharalu river, was retrieved Saturday. It is yet to be re-installed, with the unveiling ceremony remaining uncertain. The statue was supposed to be installed to mark the 200th birth anniversary of St John Bosco.

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With the Assam State Minorities Commission (ASMC), Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and others having condemned the incident, it has triggered a political controversy, especially after the BJP accused the Congress of targeting the saffron party.

“The Congress government is unnecessarily creating a political issue by arresting some BJP workers including a municipal councillor,” said BJP state secretary Vijay Gupta.