Man in Saffron Kurta Tries to Desecrate Mahatma Gandhi Statue with Sickle, Caught by Public

Pune : In a disturbing incident late Sunday night, a man identified as Suraj Shukla attempted to desecrate the statue of Mahatma Gandhi outside Pune Railway Station using a sickle. Dressed in a saffron kurta, Shukla climbed the platform and struck the statue multiple times, targeting the chest and legs, before trying to damage its head.
His attempt was thwarted by alert passengers, autorickshaw drivers, and the Railway Protection Force (RPF), who quickly intervened and apprehended him.
Sunil Kumar Yadav, RPF Inspector at Pune Railway Station, stated that Shukla hails from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, and had come to Pune for work, selling religious items like books and rudraksha malas. He reportedly bought the sickle for breaking coconuts but used it in the act of vandalism.
Congress leaders, led by city president Arvind Shinde, staged a protest on Monday, demanding strict action. Shinde questioned the repeated claims of mental illness in such cases and accused the authorities of shielding the accused.
“He clearly knew what he was doing and deliberately targeted Gandhi’s statue,” Shinde said. “There are many other political statues, but he chose this one. We demand his immediate imprisonment.”
The Bund Garden Police are investigating possible affiliations or motivations behind the act. Shukla, who allegedly harbored long-standing hatred toward Mahatma Gandhi, is expected to be presented in court soon.