Statue for a statue? Now Syama Prasad Mookerjee bust vandalised in Kolkata

NEW DELHI: In another incident of statue vandalisation, a bust of Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee was on Wednesday attacked by unidentified men in south Kolkata. The statue was found partially damaged and its face blackened. A poster was also found from the spot with the word "radicals" written on it, PTI reported. This incident of vandalism occured after two Lenin statues were toppled in Tripura and a Periyar bust was vandalised in Tamil Nadu. Mookerjee's statue was vandalised in Keoratala crematorium area near Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence. The police have started an investigation into it. Reacting to the incident, Sidharth Nath Singh, West Bengal BJP in-charge said: Syama Prasad Mookerjee is a patriot who laid his life for the nation. He is the son of West Bengal. Those guilty should be arrested immediately. CM Mamata Banerjee should punish those who vandalised his statue. We strongly condemn this incident The statues in Tripura were pulled down just days after the Left was defeated in Assembly polls by the BJP and its ally IPFT, which together won a two-third majority in the House in a state where the CPIM was in power for 25 years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday spoke to Home Minister Rajnath Singh over the incidents of vandalism. "Incidents of toppling of statues have been reported from certain parts of the country. MHA has taken serious note of such incidents of vandalism. PM Shri Narendra Modi spoke to Home Minister Rajnath Singh in this regard and has expressed strong disapproval of such incidents, the Home Ministry said. The MHA has asked the state governments that they must take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents. "Persons indulging in such acts must be sternly dealt with and booked under relevant provisions of law," the ministry said. BJP chief Amit Shah also condemned the recent incidents of vandalisation of statues in Tripura and Tamil Nadu as "extremely unfortunate". "The recent issue on destroying of statues is extremely unfortunate. We as a party do not support the bringing down of anybody’s statue," Shah said. "As a party, we in the BJP believe that a wide range of ideas and ideologies can coexist in India. This is exactly how the makers of our Constitution envisioned our great nation to be. India’s diversity and the vibrant spirit of debate and discussion is what strengthens us," the BJP chief wrote on Twitter.