BJP goons vandalised Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue, Mamata Banerjee alleges in Facebook post

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has blamed the Narendra Modi and Amit Shah-powered BJP for vandalising the statue of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

Vidyasagar's statue was vandalised at a Kolkata college following Amit Shah's roadshow on Wednesday.

While condemning the act, in a strongly-worded Facebook post, the firebrand TMC leader said that ''vandalising the statue may not be viewed as an isolated incident. Incidence of vandalism of statues is not a new phenomenon for BJP.'' 

Vandalising the statue of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar may not be viewed as an isolated incident. Incidence of vandalism of statues is not a new phenomenon for BJP.

My latest #Facebook post: https://t.co/8T0K1uER0B — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 16, 2019

 

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She also blamed the saffron party and its workers of destroying the age-old statues in Tripura immediately after coming to power in 2018.

''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,'' she wrote in the Facebook post.

 

Giving more examples, Mamata Di, as she is popularly known in West Bengal, wrote.''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.''

''The Periyar statue in Vellore was suspected to be broken by a worker of the same party. This serious matter on the demolition of the statue was raised in Parliament in March 2018. Following the embarrassment, the Home Ministry of the present government at the centre had to issue two advisories to all states for taking preventive measures.''

The Trinamool Supremo reiterated that her party believes in conserving the rich cultural and historical heritage of our Bengal. 

It is totally against the ''hate philosophy of Modi and Amit Shah,'' her Facebook post said. 

Mamata said, ''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. People of Bengal condemns this heinous act of vandalism by BJP goons.''

Attacking the Narendra Modi-led NDA government, Mamata on Thursday said, ''West Bengal does not need money from the BJP, it has enough resources to rebuild the Vidyasagar statue that was vandalised at a Kolkata college following Amit Shah's roadshow.''

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a rally in Uttar Pradesh, had promised to install the statue at the same spot where it stood before being desecrated on Tuesday.