Modi promises Vidyasagar’s statue at ‘same spot’ in WB
| Date :17-May-2019 |
MAU (UP):
Acknowledging that Vidyasagar has immense emotional value for the people of Bengal, Modi said: “We will install the statue made of ‘panch dhatu’ (five metals) at the same place where the earlier statue was installed.”
PRIME Minister Narendra Modi said that his Government was committed towards Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s vision and promised to install his grand statue of 19th century reformer at the same spot where his bust was vandalised in Kolkata. A bust of Vidyasagar had been vandalised during the violence that took place during BJP President Amit Shah’s roadshow in Kolkata. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress have been blaming each other for the incident. Addressing a rally in Mau district, the Prime Minister said, “We saw hooliganism by Trinamool Congress workers again during Amit Shah’s roadshow in Kolkata.
They vandalised Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s statue. Such people should face strong action.” Acknowledging the fact that Vidyasagar has immense emotional value for the people of Bengal, he said: “We will install the statue made of ‘panch dhatu’ (five metals) at the same place where the earlier statue was installed. We are committed to Vidyasagar’s vision.” The Election Commission, which has curtailed campaigning in Bengal, has said that it was “deeply anguished at the vandalism done to the statue” of an icon who, “besides his many other achievements as a philosopher, academic educator, writer and philanthropist, worked all his life in the cause of widow remarriage which was unthought and unheard of in the ultraconservative society in those days”.
The Prime Minister also took a dig at the SP-BSP alliance and said that ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections had been given to one who was absconding after being booked for rape. “SP has this history in UP, people know, but Behenji will you seek votes for such candidates?” he asked Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati. Lashing out at the SP-BSP alliance, he said those raising “Modi-hatao slogans are today frustrated. Uttar Pradesh has made their arithmetic all wrong and so their abuses have increased”. “Mahamilavatis want somehow to get ‘khichdi’ Government at Centre which can be blackmailed for their needs,” he said. “SP-BSP have made an opportunistic alliance. They have struck a deal at the top but on the ground their workers are still attacking each other,” he said. “They are mistaken in thinking that SP and BSP votes will be transferred. They take some castes as their slaves,” he said, adding it appears they did not understood situation in 2014, 2017 polls but will now understand in 2019 that castes should not be treated as slave. In the name of castes they gained power and used it for making bungalows and make their relatives ‘crorepatis’ and ‘arabpatis’, he charged.
Don’t need BJP’s money: Mamata
MANDIRBAZAR
WEST Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday that Bengal does not need money from the BJP, it has enough resources to rebuild the Vidyasagar statue that was vandalised at a Kolkata college following Amit Shah’s roadshow. Addressing a rally here, Banerjee said, “Modi has promised to rebuild the Vidyasagar statue in Kolkata. Why should we take their (BJP’s) money, Bengal has enough resources.”