Statues of the Kakori train action martyrs were bulldozed allegedly during construction work in Shahjahanpur, sparking outrage from opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party (SP), who on Tuesday demanded action against those responsible.
Statues of freedom fighters Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan and Roshan Singh, who hailed from Shahjahanpur, were installed along the road in front of the city corporation office and were regularly garlanded by visiting public representatives. They were allegedly demolished on Sunday evening.
A video purportedly showing the statues being razed to the ground and their debris dumped on a dustbin was posted on social media, sparking strong reactions.
Freedom fighters Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan and Roshan Singh were hanged by the British on 19 December 1927 for looting a train carrying government funds in August 1925 near Kakori, Lucknow.
District president SP Tanveer Khan claimed that the statues were demolished to remove his name plaque which was installed during his tenure as the village president. He termed the incident as an “insult to the martyrs” and accused the administration of acting arbitrarily.
‘disturbing thinking’
Meanwhile, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said that beautification can never take precedence over respect for martyrs. In a report on X, the head of the SP condemned the demolition, calling it a reflection of “disturbing thinking”.
UP Congress chief Ajay Rai demanded strict action against those responsible for the demolition.
“India will not tolerate insulting martyrs. Very shameful. In the martyr land of Shahjahanpur, on the very day of Martyr’s Day, the municipal corporation of the BJP government bulldozed the statues of great martyrs like Pandit Ramprasad Bismil, Ashfaq Ullah Khan and Thakur Roshan Singh. This is not only an insult to the statue, but this is not only an insult to the statue. Every brave man who sacrificed his life for the freedom of the country and 145 million Indians, the Yogi government should take immediate action against the responsible officers, if justice is not served, then every Congress worker will take to the streets and strongly protest against this dictatorship.
He added that the common Indian will remember the martyrs forever.
Published – 25 March 2026 01:18 IST
