West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee Unveils Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s Statue at Kolkata College Month After Vandalism

Kolkata, June 11: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday unveiled a bust of noted social reformer Vidyasagar at the Vidyasagar College in the mega event. The statue was re-installed in the presence of politicians, noted artists, intellectuals among others. TMC chief and others guests also took turns to garland Vidyasagar bust. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Statue Vandalism: Mamata Banerjee Appoints Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay and 5-Member Committee to Probe Incident.

The Chief Minister unveiled a 6-feet-tall statue of the social reformer. Banerjee also addressed a gathering of scholars, teacher and principal of few educational institutions to reiterate the contribution of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in Bengal society, literature and education. Kolkata Police Forms SIT to Probe Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's Statue Vandalism During Amit Shah's Lok Sabha Rally.

Tweet by ANI:

This comes a month after the bust was vandalised during a roadshow of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on May 14. Later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to build a grand 'panch dhatu' (five-metal alloys) statue of Vidyasagar at the same spot where the old one stood. Banerjee, however, publically denied the proposal and said that her state has got enough money to make a new structure.

Vidyasagar, a prominent figure in West Bengal, came under the spotlight after a bust of him was vandalised during Shah's rally. The clashes between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata streets triggered a huge controversy. While Trinamool accused saffron party of attacking Vidyasagar's bust, the BJP accused TMC of resorting violence to take on the rivals.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 11, 2019 03:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).