Sikh soldiers' memorial in UK vandalised, Punjab CM demands action

Photo courtesy: Twitter/@Sandwellcouncil

In a shocking incident which has enraged the Indian community - Sikhs in particular, a 10-foot statue of a Sikh soldier in London was vandalised barely hours after it was inaugurated as a tribute to the 15th Sikh battalion in World War I.

Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh strongly condemned the act of vandalism and called British authorities to nab and punish the culprits immediately. "Shocked and grieved at vandalism at UK's newly inaugurated Indian war memorial. The attack on statue of soldier of 15th Sikh regiment on historic occasion of WWI centenary is highly condemnable as it smacks of racialism. Urge UK government to take strict action against the culprits," he wrote on Twitter.

The bronze statue in the town of Smethwick, was unveiled last Sunday but soon became a target for graffitis. According to local police officials, CCTV footage from cameras in the vicinity are being screened and a hunt has been launched to nab those responsible for defacing the statue. According to news agency PTI, the words 'Sepoys no more' were painted at the base of the statue while a black line was drawn through the words 'Great War.' 

"There was some damage to the back wall which is disappointing. The graffiti was cleaned off and the matter reported to the police," Jatinder Singh, President of the Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick, said in a statement.