The Crossbill News Desk
A political controversy has erupted in Uttar Pradesh after statues of noted freedom fighters were allegedly demolished during a civic project in Shahjahanpur, drawing sharp reactions from opposition parties.
The statues of Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan and Roshan Singh, all associated with the Kakori conspiracy case, were installed at a Shaheed memorial site near the municipal corporation office in Shahjahanpur.
According to The Hindu, they were razed on the night of Sunday (March 22, 2026) as part of a road beautification drive. A video circulating on social media allegedly showed the statues being demolished and the debris dumped at a garbage site.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the state government over the incident.
“Beauty can never be greater than the honour and respect of the martyrs. Running a bulldozer over the statues of martyrs in Shahjahanpur under the pretext of beautification is a sign of a sick mentality. How can those who inform the British know the value of martyrdom? Highly condemnable!” he wrote in Hindi on X.
The Indian National Congress also criticised the incident, accusing the BJP government and local administration of hurting public sentiment.
Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai said, “India will not tolerate the insult to the martyrs. This is very shameful. On the martyrdom land of Shahjahanpur, on the very day of Martyrs’ Day, the Municipal Corporation of the BJP government ran a bulldozer on the statues of great martyrs like Pandit Ramprasad Bismil, Ashfaq Ullah Khan and Thakur Roshan Singh. This is not just an insult to the statues, but an insult to the sentiments of every brave man who sacrificed his life for the freedom of the country and of 145 crore Indians.”
Following the controversy, Shahjahanpur Police registered an FIR against the company responsible for the beautification work under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 196(2) and 352. Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi said the complaint was filed by the municipal corporation’s chief engineer at the Sadar Bazar police station, news agency PTI reported.
The three revolutionaries were executed by the British colonial government on December 19, 1927, for their role in the Kakori train action of 1925, making them enduring symbols of the freedom struggle.
The incident has triggered a wider political debate, with opposition parties alleging insensitivity towards the legacy of freedom fighters, even as authorities initiate legal action and face mounting demands for accountability.
The statues of Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan and Roshan Singh, all associated with the Kakori conspiracy case, were installed at a Shaheed memorial site near the municipal corporation office in Shahjahanpur.
According to The Hindu, they were razed on the night of Sunday (March 22, 2026) as part of a road beautification drive. A video circulating on social media allegedly showed the statues being demolished and the debris dumped at a garbage site.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the state government over the incident.
“Beauty can never be greater than the honour and respect of the martyrs. Running a bulldozer over the statues of martyrs in Shahjahanpur under the pretext of beautification is a sign of a sick mentality. How can those who inform the British know the value of martyrdom? Highly condemnable!” he wrote in Hindi on X.
The Indian National Congress also criticised the incident, accusing the BJP government and local administration of hurting public sentiment.
Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai said, “India will not tolerate the insult to the martyrs. This is very shameful. On the martyrdom land of Shahjahanpur, on the very day of Martyrs’ Day, the Municipal Corporation of the BJP government ran a bulldozer on the statues of great martyrs like Pandit Ramprasad Bismil, Ashfaq Ullah Khan and Thakur Roshan Singh. This is not just an insult to the statues, but an insult to the sentiments of every brave man who sacrificed his life for the freedom of the country and of 145 crore Indians.”
Following the controversy, Shahjahanpur Police registered an FIR against the company responsible for the beautification work under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 196(2) and 352. Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi said the complaint was filed by the municipal corporation’s chief engineer at the Sadar Bazar police station, news agency PTI reported.
The three revolutionaries were executed by the British colonial government on December 19, 1927, for their role in the Kakori train action of 1925, making them enduring symbols of the freedom struggle.
The incident has triggered a wider political debate, with opposition parties alleging insensitivity towards the legacy of freedom fighters, even as authorities initiate legal action and face mounting demands for accountability.
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