A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised in the violence during BJP president Shah's massive road show on Tuesday.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that vandalism of statues is not something new for the BJP as she claimed that the entire Bengal was hurt by vandalisation of the Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's bust in Kolkata.
Kolkata witnessed wide-spread violence during BJP president Shah's massive road show on Tuesday. A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised during the violence.
"Vandalising the statue of Pandit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar may not be viewed as an isolated incident. Incidence of vandalism of statues is not a new phenomenon for BJP," the Trinamool Congress supremo wrote in a Facebook post.
Listing past incidents of vandalism of statues under BJP rule, she said, "They vandalised age-old statues in Tripura immediately after coming to power in 2018. It was a planned operation in Tripura where bulldozers were brought by BJP. This was public property built with govt funds."
At least two statues of Russian Communist icon Vladimir Lenin were brought down in Tripura amid clashes that erupted between Left and BJP supporters after the BJP swept assembly elections in the state last year. The incident triggered a series of vandalism of statues in various states including in Uttar Pradesh where statues of Dr Bhimraom Ambedkar were found damaged at various places.
"A statue of BR Ambedkar, founding father of Indian Constitution and a legendary leader of the backward classes, was vandalised in Meerut (UP) again under BJP rule in March last year," Mamata said in her Facebook post.
She also listed the incident when a statue of rationalist leader and Dravidian movement founder EV Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar, was found vandalised at Aranthangi in the Tamil Nadu's Vellore district in March this year.
A BJP was allegedly found to be involved in the incident and was expelled from the party.
The incident followed a row over comments made by BJP leader H Raja indicating that statues of Periyar could be the next to be pulled down after two statues of communist icon Vladimir Lenin was razed in Tripura.
"This serious matter on demolition of statue was raised in Parliament in March, 2018. Following the embarrassment, the Home Ministry of present govt at the centre had to issue two advisories to all states for taking preventive measures," she said.
"All India Trinamool Congress believes in conserving the rich cultural and historical heritage of our Bengal. It is totally against the hate philosophy of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (BJP president) Amit Shah," she further said.
The TMC chief said that the entire Bengal is hurt by the act of vandalising the statue of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar by outside goons of BJP. "Vidyasagar is a great reformer, philosopher, educationist of Bengal whose name is remembered with great dignity and honour everywhere," she said, adding that people of Bengal condemn this "henious act of vandalism by BJP goons."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "West Bengal:")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}