Sambalpur: Tension prevailed on Sambalpur University premises Tuesday after miscreants vandalised a statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the campus late Monday night.
Gandhi’s statue stood along with those of other freedom fighters on the campus. On being informed by locals, Burla Congress leader Girija Shankar Nayak rushed to the spot and was surprised to find that only Gandhi’s statue was vandalised while the statues of other freedom fighters were intact.
University vice-chancellor Chittaranjan Tripathy and registrar Meghanad Nayak also reached the spot to take stock of the situation. Locals demanded a probe into the matter and arrest of those involved in the incident.
It was alleged that Tripathy and Nayak initially tried to suppress the matter but were compelled to lodge a complaint in Burla police station after locals insisted.
Burla police registered a case and started an investigation but failed to get any clues about the accused.
Terming the incident unfortunate, Girija sought to know at whose behest the statue was installed and inaugurated in a hurried manner.
Furthermore, the land where the statues were installed has no power facilities or compound wall to protect the statues, he said adding no security guard was deployed at the site.
The Congress leader said only a high-level probe will unravel the truth behind the vandalism and bring the accused to book.
Burla police station IIC Tophan Bagh said a probe is on and the accused will be behind the bars soon. A thunderstorm lashed the area Monday night but circumstantial evidence indicates that it was an act of vandalism, Bagh said. PNN
