A day after two Lenin statues were brought down in Tripura, BJP icon’s statue was targeted and blackened in Kolkata on Wednesday. The iconic statue was that of Syama Prasad Mookerjee who was the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the parent party which later emerged as Bharatiya Janata Party. Six people have been caught on suspicion and arrested in connection with the damage that was done. The statue was completely marred with black paint which made the issue even more serious.
This made things worst for the Bharatiya Janata Party. Previously statues were Vandalised in Tripura, Tamil Nadu and now West Bengal. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a harsh action to be taken for those responsible. He also Mentioned that it was a very ruthless act and it is just being passed on as a tit for tat. Earlier today, BJP statue vandalised in Kolkata clearly proved the act. This intervention was done after two Lenin statues were destroyed in Tripura. On Monday, a Lenin statue in College Square south of Tripura was attacked by a mob with the help of bulldozers. Similarly, on Tuesday another statue was brought down on Tuesday.
BJP icon’s statue was targeted after the sacking that had started major clashes between the BJP supporters and the Communist Party of India Marxist i.e (CPI-M) made the saffron party gain complete power in Tripura, ending the 25-year rule. BJP here is known as the Saffron Party. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi disapproved of the vandalism attacks that were done to both the Lenin and the Periyar statues and had a conversation with Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the issues of statues being attacked in Tamil Nadu as well as Tripura.
Social activist Periyar was a deeply respected figure in Tamil Nadu, he had mainly initiated the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam. The first Dravidian outfit of the country.
A huge set of allegations had started after the CPI party had accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of attacking its offices in Coimbatore and attacking the Lenin statues on Monday after winning the assembly polls. There was massive anger in Tamil Nadu which created a ruckass.
Apparently trying to justify the Tripura incidents, a BJP leader in Tamil Nadu, H Raja, had suggested on Facebook that statues of Periyar in his state could be next. “Who is this Lenin and what is the network between Lenin and India? What connection has India got to do with Communists? Lenin’s statue has been removed in Tripura. Today it is Lenin’s statue in Tripura, tomorrow it can be the statue of caste activist EV Ramasamy,” which he had clearly written in his post, where the BJP leader had disagreed with the involvement in the post and later disowned after a huge backlash in Tamil Nadu.
H Raja today later regretted his post and said that Vandalising Periyar statues are completely ruthless and unacceptable. The Facebook administration had posted it without my intervention. My intention was to never hurt anyone.” His post had come just when Amit Shah BJP president had mentioned that if anyone had been involved from BJP causing these issues in Tamil Nadu and Tripura will be punished severely.
BJP icon’s statue was targeted in Kolkata post this issue. Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s Statue was painted black. In one of the BJP offices in Coimbatore, a petrol bomb was thrown by three bikers in the early hours today. Luckily no one was hurt.
After this incident, the police are guarding the Periyar statue in Coimbatore.
In Kolkata, the Statue’s features were smashed with a hammer by six Students who are a part of an unknown group.
