Statues of Kakori martyrs razed in U.P.; Oppn. terms it ‘insult’ to freedom fighters

Statues of Kakori train action martyrs were demolished using a bulldozer allegedly during a road construction work in Shahjahanpur, sparking outrage with Opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party (SP), on Tuesday demanding action against those responsible for it.

The statues of freedom fighters Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan and Roshan Singh, who hailed from Shahjahanpur,were installed along a road outside the municipal corporation office and were regularly garlanded by visiting public representatives. They were allegedly demolished on Sunday night.

A video purportedly showing the statues being razed and their debris dumped at a garbage site was posted on social media, drawing sharp reactions.

Freedom fighters Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan and Roshan Singh were were hanged by the British on December 19, 1927, for looting a train that was carrying government funds in August 1925 near Kakori, Lucknow.

SP district president Tanveer Khan alleged that the statues were demolished to remove a plaque bearing his name that had been installed during his tenure as municipal chairman. He termed the incident an “insult to the martyrs” and accused the administration of acting arbitrarily.

‘Disturbing mindset’

Meanwhile, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said that beautification can never take precedence over respect for martyrs. Sharing a news report on X, the SP chief condemned the demolition, calling it a reflection of a “disturbing mindset”.

U.P. Congress chief Ajay Rai demanded strict action against those responsible for the demolition.

“India will not tolerate the insult to the martyrs. Very shameful. On the martyrdom land of Shahjahanpur, on the very day of Martyrs’ Day, the Municipal Corporation of the BJP government ran a bulldozer on the statues of great martyrs like Pandit Ramprasad Bismil, Ashfaq Ullah Khan and Thakur Roshan Singh. This is not just an insult to the statues, but an insult to the sentiments of every brave man who sacrificed his life for the freedom of the country and of 145 crore Indians. Yogi government should immediately take strict action against the responsible officers. If justice is not done, then every Congress worker will come out on the streets and strongly protest against this dictatorship,” Mr. Rai said.

He added, common Indian would remember the martyrs forever.