New Delhi, Jan 31 (IANS): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has constituted a six-member panel to investigate the desecration of a statue of B.R. Ambedkar at Amritsar in Punjab.

B.R. Ambedkar, revered as the architect of the Indian Constitution and a champion of social justice, was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna.

BJP National President J.P. Nadda issued a letter of the formation of the panel and strongly condemned the act of vandalism.

He urged the Punjab government, led by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), to take swift and stringent action against those responsible.

The six-member committee formed to investigate the incident includes Brij Lal – Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and former Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh; Lal Singh Arya – National President, BJP Scheduled Castes Morcha; Som Prakash – Former Union Minister; Guruprakash Paswan – BJP National Spokesperson; Asim Arun – Minister, Government of Uttar Pradesh; and Banto Devi Kataria – BJP leader from Ambala

The desecration occurred on January 26, Republic Day, when a man climbed onto the life-size statue of Dr Ambedkar at Town Hall on Heritage Street, which leads to the Golden Temple. Armed with a hammer, the perpetrator repeatedly struck the statue, causing damage.

A video of the incident went viral on social media, showing the accused using a long steel ladder to climb the statue before attacking it. The footage sparked outrage among Dalit organisations and civil society groups.

Several Dalit organisations, including the Bharatiya Ambedkar Mission, Bharat, staged protests in response to the vandalism. Demonstrators demanded immediate action against the culprit and measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann condemned the act and assured strict action against the perpetrator. The Amritsar Police Commissionerate swiftly registered an FIR and arrested the accused, a resident of Moga district, Punjab.

The incident has reignited discussions on the protection of symbols of Dalit identity and the need for stricter measures against vandalism targeting icons of social justice. The BJP’s probe panel is expected to submit its findings and recommendations soon.