New Delhi, Jan. 28 -- Strongly condemning the "desecration" of Dr BR Ambedkar's statue in Amritsar, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday demanded an "immediate and unconditional apology" from the ruling AAP Government of Punjab for "failing" to safeguard the legacy of the Father of the Indian Constitution.

A youth has vandalised the life-size statue of Ambedkar in Amritsar by climbing atop it and striking it with a hammer on Republic Day on Sunday. A video clip purportedly of the incident also went viral on social media.

"It is deeply disheartening and outrageous that the sanctity and respect for Dr BR Ambedkar, a beacon of social justice, are being trampled upon under the current dispensation," Kharge said in a post on X. ...