MEERUT — The portrait of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar was defaced at Ghaziabad railway station on Friday, allegedly by a group of right-wing activists who mistook it for that of Mughal King Aurangzeb.
The Hindu Raksha Dal has reportedly claimed responsibility for defacing the mural by spraying black paint, stating it was a protest against the “atrocities” committed by Aurangzeb, reported The Indian Express.
“Why do we have pictures of such a man (Aurangzeb) who has destroyed our temples and created mosques and killed our sisters? The youth of today have awakened, and they will not tolerate these activities,” said Pinki Chaudhary, president of Hindu Raksha Dal.
Meanwhile, the Railway Protection Force has registered a case against unidentified individuals under Sections 147 (unlawful entry) and 166 (defacement) of the Railways Act, stating that an investigation is underway to determine those responsible.
Reacting to the incident, Divisional Railway Manager Rupesh Raman Tripathi who was on a routine inspection at the Ghaziabad railway station said, “I got to know about the defacement. I know that it was Bahadur Shah Zafar’s portrait and he had a huge role in the 1857 revolt. This was not a good act. No one has the right to deface public property and we take action once it is brought to our notice,” he said.
He said that a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against unidentified individuals, and an investigation has begun to find out who was behind it.
S S Gabrayal, Chief Officer of the Railway Protection Force, said the Railways would take action against the offenders as soon as the number of people involved in the act is confirmed.
