Akhilesh Yadav alleges vandalism of 151 Ambedkar statues in UP

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday (September 20, 2026) alleged that over 151 statues of B.R. Ambedkar had been vandalised across 72 districts of Uttar Pradesh under the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) nine-and-a-half-year rule in the State. Releasing a ‘Samajwadi audit report’, Mr. Yadav alleged the incidents were part of a wider pattern in humiliating marginalised social groups and Ambedkarites.

“Under the BJP government, not less than 151 [Ambedkar statues] have been damaged or vandalised across 72 districts. This has been documented in our ‘Samajwadi audit report’. The vandalism is a deliberate act of humiliating oppressed social groups and followers of Dr. Ambedkar. As the BJP failed to change the Constitution, they are indulging in such acts [of vandalism] out of frustration. If we calculate the average, more than 15 statues have been vandalised each year. I am sure many more uncounted incidents have occurred across Uttar Pradesh,” Mr. Yadav told media persons in Lucknow, while releasing the ‘Samajwadi audit report’.

Arrests had been made in only 14 such instances of vandalism, the SP chief said. “Cases have been registered against 45 unknown persons; 18 people have been named as accused across incidents. In 84 incidents, there are there are no details on any action taken. An attack on Babasaheb Ambedkar is an attack on the soul of India and a slap on democratic values. It shows the BJP government and its feudal followers have no respect for Dr. Ambedkar and ideas of equality,” Mr. Yadav said.

According to the ‘Samajwadi audit report’, nine such incidents were reported in Ballia district, six in Azamgarh, five in Mathura, five in Muzaffarnagar, and five incidents were reported in Saharanpur. The document starts with an incident reported on March 24, 2017 in Gautam Buddha Nagar and ends with an incident reported on September 19, 2026 in Unnao.

The Opposition party further claimed that the audit was part of a larger outcry for social justice, and it would ultimately lead to the overthrow of the BJP government. “We will take the issue of injustice towards Dr. Ambedkar across the villages and blocks of Uttar Pradesh. We will sensitise common people about the injustice committed by the BJP government, and how the symbol of social justice is being humiliated under the BJP. The BJP will lose power in 2027,” SP spokesperson Sunil Singh Yadav ‘Sajan’ said.

Mr. Akhikesh Yadav also vowed to increase the SP’s vote tally in every Assembly seat. “All of us have decided together that we will work to increase 27,000 votes in favour of the SP in every Assembly constituency. In this way, we will work to reduce 27,000 votes of BJP [in every constituency]. These votes will come to the Samajwadi Party. With the use of technology in elections, contact with the people, [and] cooperation in securing justice, everyone will be treated with respect,” the SP leader said.