After Lenin, it's Periyar in TN, Shyama Mukherjee in Kolkata
A day after BJP supporters brought down communist leader Vladimir Lenin's statue in Tripura, similar incidents, purportedly a reaction, have been reported from TN and Kolkata. In TN, two men were arrested for vandalizing a statue of rationalist and activist EVR Periyar in Vellore. In Kolkata, Left activists, reportedly Jadavpur University students, were held for vandalizing a statue of BJP icon Syama Prasad Mukherjee.
An intro to Periyar and Mukherjee, the targets
Erode Venkata Ramasamy/Periyar (early and mid-1900s) fought against the caste system, headed the Self-Respect Movement, and formed the Dravida Kazhagam, which became the inspiration for TN's two major Dravidian parties -DMK and AIADMK. Meanwhile, Mukherjee was the Industry and Supply Minister in Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet. After a fallout, he quit the Congress and founded the right-wing Bharatiya Jana Sangh, a predecessor to the BJP.
In TN, BJP leader calls for attack on Periyar's statue
Yesterday, H Raja, a TN BJP leader, addressed the fall of Lenin's statue on Facebook: "Today Lenin's statue, tomorrow Tamil Nadu's EVR Ramaswami statue." Shortly after, two men, identified as a BJP and a CPI(M) worker, hurled stones at Periyar's statue inside the Tirupathur corporation. The two were reportedly drunk. Both have been arrested. Reports said the statue's face and hands were damaged.
RSS leader also calls for fall of Periyar's statue
In Kolkata, left activists vandalize Mukherjee's bust
In Kolkata, Left activists, identified by police as members of a group called Radical, vandalized Mukherjee's bust at Keoratola crematorium on Tollygunge Road. It was partially broken and the face blackened. At least five people have been detained. A state minister blamed it on "an ultra-Left Naxal student body" of Jadavpur University, reported India Today.
Mukherjee's vandalized bust in Kolkata
PM expresses "strong disapproval," MHA issues advisory
Following such incidents, the Home Affairs Ministry has issued an advisory to states, urging them to "take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents." PM Narendra Modi had expressed his "strong disapproval" of such incidents, the advisory noted.
Raja apologizes for Facebook post after massive controversy
Meanwhile, Raja has apologized for his Facebook post. "It was made by one of the page admins without my permission. As soon as I came to know, I deleted it." He also condemned the incident, saying it is "not correct." Such controversial statements might cost the BJP heavily, especially when it's trying to make inroads in the south.
