Unknown miscreants set fire to the statue of Dr B R Ambedkar in Yenagunte village near Hosakote on Sunday night.
The statue turned black due to the smoke. Sulibele police have taken up a case and launched a manhunt for the perpetrators. Following the incident, several Dalit organisations and villagers staged a protest at the site of the fire. They demanded that the police arrest the perpetrators.
A senior officer said the fire was set under the statue around 11.30 pm. “We are verifying CCTV footage from the surrounding buildings to get clues,” said the officer. "The five-feet statue is not damaged, but is only blackened."
Police assured the protesters that necessary action would be initiated against the vandals.
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