Assam: Mahatma Gandhi’s Statue Removal Sparks Controversy, CM Says “Not Aware”

TINSUKIA: The abrupt removal of a Mahatma Gandhi statue in the tea town of Doomdooma in Assam sparked a big controversy, with student leaders opposing the move. The 5.5-foot statue of Mahatma Gandhi placed at the town's Gandhi Chowk in Tinsukia district was removed by an excavator two days ago, causing widespread outrage.

However, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that he was unaware of the decision to remove the statue. "I am not aware of this decision taken by the district administration. Let me verify the facts. Assam owes so much to Mahatma Gandhi. He stood firmly with Bharat Ratna Gopinath Bordoloi when the Congress party led by Nehru wanted to include Assam in Pakistan under the Grouping Plan," said the Assam CM.

The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) initiated protests alleging that Gandhi's statue was removed to build a clock tower. "When we met the municipal board and the town committee, they told us they have a plan to build a clock tower, but our question is why the civil society here was not taken into confidence before taking the decision to uproot the Gandhi statue?" said Pritam Neog, an AASU leader.

Tushar Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi's great-grandson, had previously criticized the BJP administration in Assam for removing the statue. "Not surprising that the BJP Government in Assam decided to replace Bapu's statue with a clock tower in Dibrugarh," he said.

"We don't oppose any city beautification project, but it cannot be at the cost of Gandhi's statue. We won't allow it. They have to keep the statue and build a clock tower," said Durga Bhumij, Congress leader and former MLA.

In response to concerns, Rupesh Gowala, a BJP MLA from Doomdooma, stated that a replacement statue was being made and would be put in the original spot within six months. 

The new state would be one foot taller and would be placed next to a clock tower. 

“Is it good for Doomdooma town to have an old, broken statue of Gandhi ji? We removed it to replace it with a taller and better statue and also to beautify the area around it, but some people are trying to create controversy and do politics over it,” he stated.

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