Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai said the party would protest against the alleged demolition. | Photo credit: PTI
Statues of the Kakori train action martyrs were allegedly bulldozed during road beautification work by a firm in Shahjahanpur, sparking a huge uproar from opposition parties. The Congress on Tuesday (March 24, 2026) accused the state government and local administration of insulting the sentiments of common Indians. The Congress party has threatened a mass protest if strict action is not taken against those responsible.
Statues of freedom fighters Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan and Roshan Singh, who hailed from Shahjahanpur, were installed at the Shaheed memorial site along the road in front of the city corporation office and were regularly garlanded by visiting public representatives. They were reportedly demolished on Sunday (March 22, 2026) night.
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.
“India will not tolerate insulting martyrs. This is 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, but it is not only Roshan Singh in this city, it is Roshan Singh.” the sentiments of 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 officials, if justice is not served, then every Congress worker will take to the streets and strongly protest against this dictatorship,” said Ajay Rai, Uttar Pradesh Congress President.
Mr. Rai added that everyone in India will remember the martyrs forever.
Published – 25 March 2026 04:17 IST
