Dhule admin removes Tipu Sultan statue after right-wing opposition

The Dhule district administration has removed a statue of former Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan after right wing groups complained to the chief minister and deputy chief minister that it was installed without permission.

The statue had been erected by the local AIMIM legislator Farouqe Shah some 18 months ago. According to the Dhule Police, the statue located at a busy intersection came under the jurisdiction of the State Public Works Department (PWD) and Dhule Municipal Corporation (DMC).

The district administration took swift action in the wake of right-wing violence in Kolhapur over social media posts with pictures of Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan going viral on the internet.

Dhule Superintendent of Police Sanjay Barkund told National Herald that the statue was illegally erected at the intersection of 100 feet of Vadjai Road in Dhule by the local legislator without necessary permissions from the municipal corporation and the PWD department.

“Both the government authorities had issued notices to the contractor who had erected the statue. The civil district administration and the police had a meeting with the local legislator over the issue. The MLA agreed for removal of the structure and accordingly the contractor removed the statue from the spot on Friday ,” he said.

Western Maharashtra has seen three communal incidents during the past 10 days. Prohibitory orders were issued and internet services were suspended in Kolhapur on Wednesday after violence during a Bajrang Dal-led protest.

The prohibitory orders banning the assembly of five or more persons are in place till June 19 while internet services remained suspended till Thursday. The Rapid Action Force and State Reserve Police Force had been called in to oversee the situation which is now peaceful.

Tension erupted after members of various right wing organisations gathered at Shivaji Chowk to protest against a WhatsApp status which carried images of Tipu Sultan and Aurangzeb along with an offensive audio message.

Earlier, an FIR was lodged against four youths for raising objectionable slogans for display and dancing with a photo frame depicting  Mughal emperor Aurangzeb during the Dam Bara Hazari Baba dargah urs in Fakirwada area of Ahmednagar City on June 4.

In yet another incident involving violence by far right groups, two persons were injured and six vehicles vandalised in Samnapur village in Sangamner Taluka of Ahmednagar District on June 7.

According to Ahmednagar police, some miscreants while returning from Sangamner town after attending a “Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha'' rally organised by the Sakal Hindu Samaj allegedly resorted to stone-pelting on some houses, sparking tension in the area.

The Ahmednagar police later arrested 17 persons in connection with the violence and arson. The far-right rally was addressed by TV anchor Suresh Chavanke.