Taking matters in hand has led to yet another case of vandalisation in Kolkata. The statue of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee was damaged in Chittaranjan Das Park inside Kalighat Crematorium.
A group of six students gathered at around 7 am. They claimed to be from the Jadavpur University’s ‘Radical’ students’ organization. With placards condemning the vandalisation of Lenin statues in Tripura, they did the same with the BJS chief. However the police detained the six students.
The group raised slogans and damaged Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s bust. They demanded explanation from BJP as to why Lenin’s statue was brought down.
A group of local Trinamool Congress workers caught all six people. A TMC worker said, “We were having tea and suddenly we saw these students damaging the statue. There is a strict instruction from our party president Mamata di to prevent people from damaging statues of great leaders.”
State BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu asked for strict action against those involved in this notorious act. “The bust is damaged. This is the handiwork of TMC workers who are desperate to wipe out BJP from Bengal. The more they will suppress us, the more we will emerge as a strong party,” he said.
CM’s stand on the issue
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the same. She said,
“My ideology may differ with the CPI (M) but I will not tolerate if someone will try to destroy statues of leader like Lenin. It is unfortunate that BJP leaders instead of thinking towards development in Tripura, they are indulged in violence. They only believe in divisive politics.”
In addition, she also hit out at the BJP in Tripura, questioning,
“What kind of politics is this? Today they are pulling down Lenin’s statue, tomorrow they will do the same with Gandhi ji, Subhash Chandra Bose, Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, Birsa Munda’s statue….Till I am alive, I will not tolerate this and will raise our voice.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Home Minister Rajnath Singh over the issue. The ministry issued an advisory to the states asking to take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents.