Etah (UP), Apr 15 (PTI) Tension prevailed at a village in Etah district on Tuesday after unidentified miscreants allegedly vandalised a statue of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and governor late Kalyan Singh, police said.

The incident reported from Mohanpur village under the Jalesar police station has further flared unrest in the region, which was already tense following the shooting of a Dalit youth during an Ambedkar Jayanti procession on Monday.

According to Yadram Verma, a local resident, members of the Dalit community took out a procession in the village on Monday night, during which some unidentified individuals allegedly pelted stones at Kalyan Singh’s statue located on the Jalesar-Isauli road.

The incident triggered an outrage, particularly among the members of the Lodhi community to which Kalyan Singh, a Padma Vibhushan awardee, belonged.

Verma claimed that some youths from the nearby Badhanpur village tried to prevent the vandalism but were instead assaulted. Upon receiving information, teams from the local administration and police rushed to the spot early Tuesday morning.

ASP Rajkumar Singh, ADM Satyaprakash Singh, SDM Bhavna Vimal, and tehsildar Rakesh Kumar also visited the village and appealed for peace, assuring that strict action would be taken against the offenders.

Police have registered an FIR based on a complaint lodged by Verma under the relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against unidentified individuals.

However, the situation escalated after prominent Lodhi community members, including Jalesar Dehat village head Shailendra Singh Rajput, Dharmendra Singh Rajput, and Ramjilal Rajput, gathered at the site demanding immediate arrest of the offenders.

Clashes erupted between members of the Lodhi and Jatav communities, leading to stone pelting from both sides.

On Monday, a Jatav youth was fatally shot allegedly by a youth from the Yadav community over a minor dispute in Jalesar town.

The incident sparked a violent protest by the members of the Bhim Army who resorted to stone pelting, triggering unrest in the region.

The vandalisation of Kalyan Singh’s statue has added to the tension already prevailing in the area.

Kalyan Singh’s son Rajveer Singh is a former MP from this region, while his grandson Sandeep Singh is currently the minister in-charge of Etah district.

Two other key Lodhi leaders — Rajveer Singh (also known as Raju Bhaiya) and local MLA Vipin Verma David — also hail from the area.

Police are currently camping in the village to maintain order, while the administration remains alert due to the tense situation, officials said.

Jalesar police station in-charge Sudhir Kumar Raghav said, “The situation is currently under control. A mutual agreement has been reached regarding the replacement of the damaged statue. A new statue is being procured and will be installed at the same site once it arrives.” PTI COR KIS ARI