In BJP-ruled Assam, statue of Mahatma Gandhi removed to construct clock tower
TINSUKIA: A recent decision to remove a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Doomdooma in Tinsukia district of Assam, has sparked significant controversy and public outcry.
The 5.5-foot-tall statue, a long-standing landmark at Gandhi Chowk, was removed recently to make way for the construction of a new Clock Tower.
The removal, carried out with the help of an excavator crane, was met with immediate protests from local residents.
Durga Bhumij, a former two-time Congress MLA from Doomdooma in Assam, was among the most vocal critics.
"The statue of Mahatma Gandhi should remain in its original place. We cannot allow the construction of the Clock Tower in this area," Bhumij said while expressing his deep dismay over the administration's actions.
In response to the backlash, Doomdooma BJP MLA Rupesh Gowala sought to calm the situation.
On Thursday, Gowala promised the townspeople that a new statue of Mahatma Gandhi would be erected at the original site within six months.
The controversy has also drawn the attention of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Sarma stated, "I am not aware of this decision taken by the district administration. Let me verify the facts. Assam owes so much to Mahatma Gandhi."