Condemning alleged attacks on students of the Vidyasagar College and University of Calcutta after BJP president Amit Shah’s road show in Kolkata, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said she has never seen such political violence in Kolkata.
She said an inquiry would be initiated.
Banerjee and other TMC leaders have changed their Twitter profile pictures to iconic social reformer Iswarchandra Vidyasagar’s photo as a mark of protest.
Besides Banerjee, Derek O’ Brien, MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Abhishek Banerjee and several others changed their profile pictures on Twitter to condemn the vandalisation of Vidyasagar’s statue.
“It is a very unfortunate incident and an entire college was vandalised. A bust of Iswarchandra Vidyasagar was broken. I have kept broken parts of the bust where the original statue was there. I have never seen such political violence in Kolkata,” Banerjee observed.
She accused the BJP of bringing “miscreants” from other states like Bihar, Rajasthan and spending crores of rupees to put up cut-outs for the road show.
“Does Amit Shah have any idea about the University of Calcutta that is our pride? Who is he? Can’t they stage protest demonstrations against him? Many people protest against me by putting up posters. I don’t mind. In a democratic framework why have the BJP’s goons attacked Vidyasagar College?” she asked.
She also accused the BJP of circulating a “fake” press statement alleging the Trinamool organised the violence.
She also said, “An outsider leader provoked and taught them to create unrest. People of Bengal will not tolerate such thing. We condemn it. Whenever I organise any meeting or rally, they do hold counter programmes after taking permission from police through the Election Commission.”
She accused the BJP leaders of being involved in “hawala transactions” for distributing money among voters.
