Statue of Syama Prasad Mookerjee damaged in Kolkata ahead of birth anniversary events
Kolkata, July 6: The pedestal of a newly installed statue of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, was found damaged in north Kolkata early Sunday morning. The incident occurred hours before Union Home Minister Amit Shah was scheduled to arrive in the city to lead commemorative programmes for Mookerjee’s 125th birth anniversary.
The statue, along with a bust of Gopal Mookerjee, was installed by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) on APC Road near Sukiya Street, under the Beliaghata Assembly constituency. The formal unveiling was planned for Monday evening.
Local party workers discovered the damage around 1.30 am. Soumyadeep Raychaudhuri, vice president of the North Kolkata BJYM, said the upper portion of the statue remained intact but the cemented pedestal and nameplate were smashed. He called the act “deeply unfortunate” and said no sane-minded individual could do such a thing.
Following a complaint by BJYM worker Saumyajit Roy Chowdhury, police arrested one suspect, Rupesh Hazra, 26, from Narkeldanga. A case was registered under charges of deliberate intent to wound religious feelings, mischief, and criminal conspiracy. Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Kunal Agarwal said broken tiles and pieces of the nameplate were seized. CCTV footage from the area is being reviewed.
Local BJP leaders alleged involvement of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), but state police intervened to maintain order. The incident comes as the BJP, which first came to power in West Bengal in 2024, declared July 6 a state holiday to mark Mookerjee’s birth anniversary. The state BJP headquarters at Muralidhar Lane has been decorated for the main event led by Amit Shah.
