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.
