151 Ambedkar statues vandalised in UP under BJP rule, only 14 arrests: Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday claimed that 151 statues of BR Ambedkar had been damaged or vandalised across 72 districts of Uttar Pradesh during the BJP government, but arrests had been made in only 14 cases.

Yadav, speaking at the SP office in Lucknow, said his party had documented 151 such cases and alleged that there could be more incidents that had not been recorded.

“Statues of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar have been damaged the most. Under the BJP government, over 151 (Ambedkar statues) have been damaged or vandalised in 72 districts,” he said.

Citing government figures, Yadav said arrests had been made in 14 cases. In 45 cases, FIRs were registered against unidentified persons, while eight cases involved named FIRs. He claimed no action had been taken in 84 cases.

Yadav alleged that the vandalism was deliberate and linked it to the BJP’s alleged attempt to change the Constitution.

“This was done deliberately because they (the BJP) wanted to change the Constitution but failed to do so,” he said.

He alleged that the BJP government neither respected Ambedkar, his statues nor his followers.

The SP later posted a district-wise breakdown of the cases on X, citing media reports. According to the party, Ballia recorded nine cases, followed by Azamgarh with six, while Mathura, Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur recorded five each. Ghazipur, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Prayagraj, Lucknow and Varanasi recorded four cases each.

The party claimed that 46 statues were damaged during the first tenure of the Yogi Adityanath government and 105 during its second tenure.

Its year-wise breakdown showed four cases in 2022, 12 in 2023, 13 in 2024, 29 in 2025 and 47 in 2026.

The allegations come amid continuing incidents involving Ambedkar statues in the state. On 14 September, an Ambedkar statue in Lalahat village of Etah district was found damaged, with villagers saying it was the third such incident involving the same statue in three years. Police registered a case and deployed personnel in the area.

Yadav's figures and allegations could not be independently verified from the material available.