By IANS,
New Delhi : Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav Saturday strongly protested the razing of a statue of India’s first home minister Sardar Vallabhbahi Patel in Pratapgarh district of Uttar Pradesh, terming it a “national shame”, and promised to take action if his party returned to power.
“Bringing down the statue of a freedom fighter and a nation builder like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is a shame for the nation,” Mulayam Singh told reporters at a hastily convened press conference here.
“If we come to power (in Uttar Pradesh) we will send the culprits to jail including Chief Minister Mayawati if she has a hand in this act,” said Yadav, a former chief minister.
Vallabhbhai Patel’s statue was razed by the district administration on his birth anniversary Oct 31. The statue, which was erected barely four months back, was brought down because it was constructed on land belonging to a village panchayat.
Mulayam Singh said a bulldozer was used to bring down the statue.
“Mayawati does not think that Patel was the Iron Man of India and is keen to put more of her statues and busts across the state as she perceives herself to be the iron woman,” said Samajwadi Party general secretary, Amar Singh.
The party has called for a nationwide protest on the issue Nov 5.