The Phillaur village of Nangal in Jalandhar district, Punjab, has seen a second such gruesome act of vandalism against Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar statues in two months. On Monday, culprits vandalized an Ambedkar statue by splattering black paint on the face—a grim repeat of a similar attack on March 31, when a glass-covered Ambedkar statue in the same village was vandalized. Banned terror group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) has claimed responsibility for both the attacks.
SFJ's Pannun issues video; police start inquiry
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of SFJ and based in the USA, released a video at 9:15 am Monday, taking responsibility for the latest act. He claimed the timing was deliberate, ahead of the 41st anniversary of Operation Bluestar—a period often marked by heightened communal sensitivities in Punjab. Following the video, police and intelligence agencies responded swiftly, with local teams reaching the site to clean the statue and begin investigations.
The CCTV cameras installed at the site have recorded a man, whose face is covered and who is wearing a cap, twice spraying paint on the statue. The police are trying to identify the accused based on this footage. Whereas the earlier desecrated statue was shielded by glass, the new target did not have any such cover over it, thus being exposed.
FIR registered, security tightened
Jalandhar SSP Harvinder Singh Virk attested that an FIR has been filed against Pannun and his group under sections of the Defacement and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). CCTV footage has been confiscated, and additional security has been put in place in all sensitive points, particularly in view of June 6—the anniversary of Operation Bluestar.
The incident has caused widespread anger among the locals. Black paint was sprayed over the statue, and Khalistani slogans like "Sikhs for Justice" were also seen on the wall of a neighboring government school. The police officials responded swiftly and have initiated a deep investigation.
Political leaders strongly condemn the attack
Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary also went to the spot, terming the act as a "shameful and cowardly attack not only on a revered national figure but on the soul of India's Constitution itself." He added that the motive was to create communal unrest, especially between Dalits and Sikhs. He claimed that the residents of Phillaur—Dalits, Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims—unanimously condemn this hate propaganda.
Chaudhary instructed the police and administration to take strong action, with no mercy for the attackers. Other political leaders, such as Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi and Amritpal Bhonsle of Congress, are also paying a visit to the location to show solidarity and make demands.
Community stands united
SSP Virk insisted that efforts are being put in to disrupt Punjab's communal peace and cautioned that repeated acts by Pannun will finally result in his arrest. Locals have been outraged and frustrated but have also appealed for unity and calm in the wake of such attempts.
This chain of events highlights the continuing tests to social peace in Punjab and the imperative to remain vigilant against attempts to manipulate communal and caste fault lines for politically divisive purposes.