By India Today News Desk: Clashes erupted between two groups in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur on Wednesday over the installation of statues of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and Maharaja Surajmal.

Police said villagers pelted stones at cops and blocked a state highway, reported PTI news agency.

WHAT LED TO THE CLASHES?

The violence took place in Bharatpur’s Belara village when residents gathered at Belara Chauraha, a prominent intersection, to install a statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar before his birth anniversary on April 14. However, the Jat community wanted to install a statue of Jat king Maharaja Surajmal, the founder of Bharatpur.

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Tension was already simmering in the village after a committee headed by Bharatpur Divisional Commissioner Sanwarmal Verma recently decided to install a statue of Bhimrao Ambedkar at the Belara Chauraha and one of Maharaja Surajmal at Kumher Chauraha and that of lord Parshuram at Nagar Chauraha.

People from the Jat community organised a protest against the administration on April 9. They demanded that Maharaja Surajmal’s statue be installed at the Belara Chauraha. A dharna scheduled for April 10 was withdrawn after Cabinet Minister Vishvendra Singh assured them to fulfill their demand.

However, tension erupted on Wednesday when people from the Jat community found out that Vishvendra Singh announced in a press conference that the statue of Ambedkar would be installed at Belara Chauraha, said a PTI report.

Bhupendra Singh, the Nadbai Panchayat Samiti Up-pradhan, told PTI, “We are not jealous of any caste but we are demanding Maharaja Surajmal’s statue at the main intersection. Some officers led by the divisional commissioner in a room have made a decision.”

Additional Superintendent of Police Raghuvir Singh said on Thursday that the situation had been brought under control. He added that police personnel have been deployed at Belara Chauraha and “everything is under surveillance”.

Nadbai Sub-Division Magistrate Jogendra Singh said efforts are being made to pacify the agitating people.

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