Madhya Pradesh: Man defaces former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri’s bust in Bhopal, Congress protests

A 35-year-old man was arrested in Bhopal for defacing a bust of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, officials said on Saturday.

The accused installed shoes on both shoulders of the bust at the Kushabhau Thackeray Convention Center in Bhopal, a landmark in the city that is also close to the Raj Bhavan and the police control room.

The incident sparked outrage among Congress workers, who protested near the statue and later cleaned it with milk. They have also filed a complaint regarding the incident.

“Based on a complaint by Jahangirabad Congress block committee president Yashwant Yadav, we have registered a case under Section 298 (desecration of a sacred object) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). A 35-year-old man has been arrested,” Police Inspector Manoj Patwa said.

According to the police, the man told the law enforcement officers that he was intoxicated at the time of the crime.