Ghaziabad: A damaged statue of Bhimrao Ambedkar and torn posters triggered hours of tension in Loni Border area on Sunday, with more than 500 people taking to the streets and blocking Delhi-Saharanpur Road as they demanded swift arrests.The protest began after residents learned that Ambedkar posters put up at Mangal Bazar had been torn late on Saturday night. Soon after, they were told that an Ambedkar statue near Shani Mandir on the service road in Indrapuri had also been damaged. As word spread, a large crowd gathered at the spot, causing traffic on the key road to remain disrupted for hours.Satyaveer Singh, who lodged a complaint, said they were told that people who tore the posters had arrived in a vehicle bearing the registration number UP14HA-8328. “By tearing the posters, they hurt our sentiments. It was an attempt to disturb peace and order. Later, we learned that the Ambedkar statue installed near Shani Mandir had also been damaged during the night. We informed police and demanded immediate action,” he added.Loni MLA Nand Kishore Gujjar, municipal chairperson Ranjita Dhama and senior police officers reached the site as the protest intensified. Gujjar said someone had deliberately tried to disturb communal harmony in Loni and demanded strict action, including under NSA provisions, against those responsible.When the blockade continued till past 4pm, police used batons to clear the road and also detained some protesters. With heavy deployment at the site, one carriageway was cleared first and traffic later resumed on the other side as well.An FIR was registered at Loni Border police station against unknown persons under Section 298 of the BNS, which deals with injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class, and Section 299, which covers deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings by insulting religion or religious beliefs.“We have detained two persons so far and are checking CCTV footage from nearby areas,” a police officer said.The DCP added, “A new statue is being brought from Baghpat and will be installed soon.”
