Trinamool leaders change profile photos on social media after vandalization of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s statue
The Vidyasagar bust before and after its vandalization.
New Delhi: Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, a name every Bengali feels proud because of his work towards upliftment of the society, has been dragged into the politics in West Bengal. This happened when a day after a statue of the 19th-century reformer was vandalized in clashes during BJP president Amit Shah’s roadshow in Kolkata.
Although both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP accused each other for the violence and the vandalization of the Vidyasagar College and the statue, the TMC seized the incidence to show the BJP as anti-Bengali.
On Wednesday, many TMC leaders, including party supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, changed their profile photos on Facebook and Twitter to Vidyasagar’s to express their protest and anguish.
West Bengal chief minister while expressing her anger said, “BJP goons took sticks and vandalized the statue. Such a big shame.”
Vidyasagar as Mamata Banerjee's display photo on her Twitter page.
Senior TMC leader Derek O'Brien took to Twitter and wrote:
. @MamataOfficial “I do not have words to condemn the incident. I am myself ashamed... that, as people of Bengal, we cannot respect Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar because of these BJP goons. These leaders will be leaders of the nation ? Those who cannot respect icons ?” pic.twitter.com/CHYOTaHJD5
— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) May 15, 2019
Congress spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala expressed anguish in solidarity with TMC leaders and tweeted:
Strongly condemn the desecration of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s statue by BJP goons in Bengal.
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) May 15, 2019
He was not only an icon for Bengali people but for the entire country.
This is an assault to our shared culture and identity.
Power hungry Modiji has no respect for Indian cultures.
The BJP, in turn, accused the Trinamool of conspiring to frame the BJP by having the statue broken by her party workers.
Union Minister Babul Supriyo, the BJP candidate from Asansol, tweeted:
Can bet with 100% confidence that breaking the VidyaSagar Statue ws part of Mamtaji’s #LargerSchemeOfDirtyPolitics, now her USP•She got it broken!#TMchhi did it•There’s no way the BJP supporters cud hv entered the hostel&reached the statue that was deep inside the premises !!
— Chowkidar Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) May 15, 2019
Apart from politicians, other emminent personalities also expressed their shock and dismay over the vandalization of the Bengal icon’s bust.
Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt also expressed his concern on Twitter and wrote:
To attack Pandit Vidya Sagar is to attack Bangla language. To begin with he simplified Bangla for studying through Borno Porichoy @derekobrienmp
— Mahesh Bhatt (@MaheshNBhatt) May 15, 2019
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