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New Delhi: Seven persons, including a woman, have been booked by police in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria for allegedly pelting stones at officials during the removal of an unauthorised statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar installed on government land. Three police personnel and two village-level officials were also suspended by the administration for negligence in the matter.

The incident took place in Lavkani village in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Villagers who had installed the statue initially agreed to relocate it after the local administration informed them that they lacked authorisation. However, violence erupted on July 30 during its removal when a section of locals opposed the move.

Local resident Suraj, who filed the complaint against those who allegedly turned violent, said he had installed Ambedkar’s statue near the village Anganwadi centre. In his complaint to the police, a copy of which has been reviewed by The Wire, Suraj stated that he was unaware that the land was designated as government khalihan (traditional threshing floor) land, where a statue could not legally be installed.

“As soon as we came to know about this, we started removing the........

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