Few days after the vandalism, the statue of Dalit icon Dr. BR Ambedkar was restored in Badaun region of Uttar Pradesh, however, it is painted in saffron colour.

According to reports, after protests by locals, the administration arranged an Ambedkar statue from Agra and inaugurated it on Sunday.

In Badaun, the statue at Ambedkar park in Dugraiya village was found damaged. The vandalism of the statue was latest in a series of such acts. Previously, at least five such incidents have been reported from Aligarh, Meerut and other parts. The statues of Ambedkar in the Gandhi Park area and in a park in the Ghantaghar area of Aligarh were found broken on March 5.

“The government is busy doing politics of colour. They are busy painting buildings, boundaries, parks and so on in saffron colour. Now they are getting exposed by changing the colour of Ambedkar statue to saffron," Samajwadi Party MLA and SP spokesperson Sunil Singh Sajan told media.

Last month, Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh kicked up a row by passing an order to add 'Ramji' in the name of the Dalit icon.

According to a government order, the full name of the Dalit icon Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar will now be written in all official documents, records and communiqué.

The diktat comes in light of the letter shot off by Governor Ram Naik asking the government to issue necessary directions to write the full name of the Dalit ideologue at all places.

Several incidents of statue vandalism have been taking place in various parts of the country after two statues of Communist icon Lenin were brought down in Tripura, two days after the BJP wrested the Left bastion.

Earlier, Dravidian leader EV Ramasamy Periyar’s statue was vandalised in Tamil Nadu. A statue of Mahatma Gandhi was vandalised in Kerala’s Kannur district on Thursday. Whereas, a statue of Lord Hanuman was desecrated in Uttar Pradesh's Kharuav village, triggering tension in the area.

PM Modi had expressed strong disapproval of incidents of statues of iconic leaders being damaged and vandalised in some parts of the country, and warned that stern action would be taken against all those responsible.