The Punjab Police arrested a Youth Akali Dal leader on Tuesday for allegedly vandalising the statue of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in Ludhiana, PTI reported. Police said another accused is currently at large.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh condemned the act and claimed that the two men belonged to the Shiromani Akali Dal. He asked the police to take strict action against the accused, and also sought Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal’s apology for the “obnoxious act”.

The miscreants sprayed black and red paint on the former prime minister’s statue at the Salem Tabri area in Ludhiana, PTI reported. They blamed Rajiv Gandhi for the anti-Sikh violence in 1984. The miscreants demanded that Gandhi’s statues should be removed from across the country, and his Bharat Ratna should be revoked.

The statue was later cleaned by Congress members.

The demand to revoke Gandhi’s Bharat Ratna was also made during the discussion of a resolution moved in the Delhi Assembly last week. It was, however, not part of the original resolution introduced by Aam Aadmi Party MLA Jarnail Singh, and was not passed.