Silchar: An act of vandalism targeting a statue of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was reported from Assam’s Cachar district, triggering political outrage and a police investigation.
The incident occurred over Monday night and early Tuesday at Pailapool market, which falls under the Lakhipur police station jurisdiction. Officials confirmed that an excavator was used to uproot and damage the statue. Police have detained one person in connection with the case and seized the machinery involved in the act.
Although there were no direct eyewitnesses, surveillance cameras installed in the market area captured footage of unidentified individuals using heavy equipment to bring down the statue during late-night hours.
Lakhipur police officer-in-charge Sankar Dayal confirmed that a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered and an investigation is underway.
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Leaders of the Indian National Congress alleged that the act was planned and politically motivated, claiming it was not an act of random vandalism but a calculated demolition carried out under the cover of darkness.
Congress representatives in Silchar said the visuals clearly indicate a coordinated operation, suggesting an attempt to create unrest ahead of the upcoming state elections expected in March–April.
The Congress’s Lakhipur Mandal unit lodged a formal complaint at the Lakhipur police station, demanding swift identification and arrest of those responsible and strict legal action.
Party leaders described the incident as an attack on the legacy of a national leader who played a pivotal role in shaping modern India.
