# Akhilesh alleges 151 Ambedkar statues vandalised in UP under BJP

2026-09-20T16:56:58+00:00 | Politics | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said 151 statues of B.R. Ambedkar were vandalised across 72 districts of Uttar Pradesh under the BJP government, with only 14 arrests made. He released a 'Samajwadi audit report' claiming 46 statues were damaged in the first Yogi Adityanath tenure and 105 in the second, with 47 incidents in 2026 alone. The report cites media accounts for district-wise figures: nine cases in Ballia, six in Azamgarh, and five each in Mathura, Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur. The BJP had no immediate comment. The allegations could not be independently verified.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

The Hindu and Siasat.com report Akhilesh Yadav's claims largely verbatim, neither verifying nor challenging the 151 figure. National Herald India explicitly notes the allegations could not be independently verified, introducing caution the other two omit. The SP's core charge, 151 statues damaged, 14 arrests, goes unchallenged by all three, and the BJP has offered no response. The audit's year-wise breakdown shows a sharp increase from 4 incidents in 2022 to 47 in 2026, a trajectory the sources report without context. The election commission or a court may eventually be asked to examine the data behind these claims.

## Coverage

- nationalheraldindia.com (neutral report) <https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/151-ambedkar-statues-vandalised-in-up-under-bjp-rule-only-14-arrests-akhilesh>
  Leads with claims without verification or BJP response
- thehindu.com (neutral report) <https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/uttar-pradesh/151-statues-of-ambedkar-were-vandalised-in-up-under-the-bjp-akhilesh-yadav/article71488451.ece>
  Leads with claims, adds full SP press conference details
- siasat.com (neutral report) <https://www.siasat.com/151-ambedkar-statues-vandalised-in-up-under-bjp-govt-akhilesh-3545416/>
  Leads with claims, adds extensive SP allegations beyond statue issue

Tags: Akhilesh Yadav, B.R. Ambedkar, BJP, Samajwadi Party, Uttar Pradesh
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