Tipu Sultan's palace defaced; 'Lawrence Bishnoi' carved on monument
What's the story
The historic Tipu Sultan Summer Palace in Nandigiridhama, Chikkaballapur, Karnataka, was vandalized by unidentified miscreants. The vandals carved the name of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi into the walls of the centuries-old monument. Strangely, the incident went unnoticed for several days despite being under the watch of tourism, horticulture, and district police departments.
Security lapse
CCTV cameras were not functional
The site is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and has CCTV cameras installed. However, none of them were functional at the time of the incident. This security lapse has raised concerns about how someone could scale the two-story building and deface it without being noticed. The palace is a restricted zone, but this incident shows that some people reached its terrace undetected.
Public outrage
Vandalism has been condemned by locals
The vandalism has been condemned by locals and heritage lovers who called it a shameful attack on India's cultural history, the Financial Express reported. Many visitors have demanded that authorities catch and punish those responsible for this act. The Archeological Survey of India is expected to inspect the damage, and an inquiry has been launched into the case.
Official response
Police official admitted to security issues
A police official admitted to the security issues at the site. They said, "There are many monkeys in the area, and we usually repair the CCTV cameras once every 15 days since they often get damaged." The official assured that immediate steps would be taken to fix and restore the cameras to working condition.