India, March 25 -- MEERUT A major controversy erupted in Shahjahanpur after statues of prominent freedom fighters associated with the historic Kakori conspiracy were allegedly damaged during a road widening and beautification project near the Town Hall. The incident sparked public anger and political backlash across the state.

The statues of revolutionaries - Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Roshan Singh and Prem Kishan Khanna - were reportedly damaged late Sunday night. These figures played pivotal roles in India's freedom struggle, and their memorials had stood for decades as symbols of sacrifice.

According to officials, workers of Fly Infratech, contracted by the municipal corporation for the project, allegedly used a bulldozer to...