Nehru Statue Vandalised in Assam’s Cachar

• By Thetripurapost Desk, Guwahati
• Feb 25, 2026
• 1072

A 10-foot statue of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, was allegedly brought down by unidentified vandals at Pailapool in Assam’s Cachar district, igniting a political firestorm between the Opposition Congress and the ruling BJP.

The statue, situated in front of Nehru College, was found vandalised by morning walkers on Tuesday, who immediately alerted the authorities. While officials initially suggested that the structure may have collapsed on its own, Congress leaders cited CCTV footage purportedly showing a group of individuals using an excavator to deliberately demolish it.

Congress leader Pradeep Kumar Dey asserted that the visual evidence contradicts the preliminary claims of accidental collapse. “The footage clearly indicates premeditated vandalism carried out with mechanical assistance,” he stated.

Installed in 2000, the statue commemorated Nehru’s legacy in a locality that, according to Congress leaders, has historically revered the architect of modern India.

The college itself was established in 1965, and the tradition of honouring Nehru in the region dates back to 1953 with the founding of a high school in his name. Dey noted that the statue’s unveiling ceremony was attended by late Union Minister Santosh Mohan Dev and former Assam minister Dinesh Prasad Goala.

The Congress has since lodged a First Information Report (FIR) in connection with the incident. Confirming the development, local police officer Shankar Dayal stated that a case has been registered and the excavator visible in the footage has been seized. “We are in possession of digital evidence and are working to identify the perpetrators. Appropriate legal action will follow upon their identification,” he said.

Former Congress district chief Abhijit Paul denounced the act as “deeply reprehensible” and politically charged. Drawing parallels with the 2024 vandalisation of statues of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he argued that such actions reflect a broader ideological animus.

“Nehru was a freedom fighter and a principal architect of India’s post-Independence trajectory. Political disagreements cannot legitimise desecration,” Paul remarked.
The Congress also criticised BJP MLA and minister Kaushik Rai, whose constituency encompasses the site of the incident, for maintaining silence on the matter. Despite repeated attempts, Rai did not respond to queries, and other BJP leaders have thus far refrained from issuing any statement.

With investigations underway, the episode has further sharpened political tensions in the region.