New statue of Mayawati installed

In an apparent damage control exercise, the Uttar Pradesh government installed a new statue of BSP supremo Mayawati at the Ambedkar Park here late on Thursday night, around 12 hours after the former chief minister’s marble statue was vandalised by unidentified miscreants.

Admitting that the incident was reflective of an intelligence failure, the government on Friday suspended an inspector of the Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) on charges of laxity, police sources said.Officials had launched a frantic search for a new statue of Mayawati and much to their relief, found one at the UP Sangeet Natak Academy campus.An inquiry has also been ordered into the matter.

Unidentified miscreants had vandalised Mayawati’s statue on Thursday, triggering sharp reaction from the BSP. According to reports, about four to six youths carrying hammers arrived at the park and destroyed the statue before decamping.