The Dalit community in Dhar’s Jetpura village has issued a stern warning, stating that the community in the district will boycott the Lok Sabha elections if the statue of Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, which they erected in the village recently, is removed by the administration.
Tensions escalated in the village after the tehsildar and SDM Roshni Patidar reportedly threatened the sarpanch and the village committee members with jail terms following the installation of the statue on April 14 without their approval. In response to the threats, a large gathering of villagers from Jetpura assembled, asserting their determination to prevent the removal of Baba Saheb’s statue.
Mahadev Shinde, a resident, proclaimed Baba Saheb as a divine figure in contemporary times, advocating for his statues to be erected in every village without administrative interference.
Santosh Sisodia, another villager, voiced the sentiment that any attempt by the administration to interfere with the statue would lead to a boycott of the elections by the SC/ST communities across the district, emphasising Baba Saheb’s universal significance to them.
Despite the strong stance taken by the villagers, SDM Roshni Patidar clarified that the administration’s intent was not to incarcerate anyone but to take action against the sarpanch and secretary for installing the statue without proper consent, especially during the ongoing model code of conduct in the district.
The situation has garnered significant attention, with the administration’s next steps in handling the statue’s removal poised to determine the course of action for both the officials and the villagers.
