Mayawati's statue 'beheaded' in Lucknow

A statue of BSP supremo Mayawati was "beheaded" in Lucknow on Thursday, vandalized with sledgehammers near the Ambedkar Memorial in Gomtinagar.

The vandalism came minutes after the national president of the UP Navnirman Sena, Jani, told reporters at a press conference in the city that if the state government did not dismantle Mayawati's statues — as promised before the assembly polls — his outfit would do it within 72 hours. Cameras and photographers who had attended the press conference were on the spot as four members of the group damaged the statue.

A constable on duty at the park, Kedarnath Mishra, said he was unable to stop the men because he was unarmed. Three of the vandals were later arrested.

The incident set off a political firestorm. The BSP warned of a backlash if the culprits were not punished, while the ruling Samajwadi Party — whose chief Akhilesh Yadav had come to power just months earlier on promises to deal with Mayawati's memorial parks — moved quickly to replace the broken statue with a new one to contain the protests.