BJP Icon Syama Prasad Mookerjee's Bust Damaged In Kolkata, 7 Arrested

Kolkata: A bust of BJP icon Syama Prasad Mookerjee was blackened and damaged in Kolkata this morning, the latest in a series of incidents of vandalism that started with the pulling down of statues of communist leader Lenin in Tripura.
Syama Prasad Mookerjee was the founder of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, the predecessor of the ruling BJP.

The face was blackened and eyes and ears of the bust were damaged, apparently with a hammer, say the police.

Seven people, including a woman, have been arrested, the Kolkata Police tweeted.

6 male and one female ( age 22-29) who tried to deface the bust of dr shyama prasad mukherjee have been arrested from the spot by Kolkata Police and strong legal action initiated. No vandalism would be tolerated.

— CP Kolkata (@CPKolkata) March 7, 2018

The Bhartiya Janata Party has condemned blackening of SP Mookerjee's bust; "It's barbaric act of vandalising statue...We demand very strong action against culprits," said Sayantan Basu, General Secretary, Bengal BJP. The party has announced that it will take out at rally and observe "law violation day" in Kolkata.

The Bengal unit of the BJP has announced that it will take out at rally and observe "law violation day" in Kolkata.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strongly condemned the vandalism of statues in Tamil Nadu and Tripura; the home ministry has asked states to take strict action against vandalism.

Toppling of statues has been going on after Lenin's statue was bulldozed in Belonia in Tripura on Tuesday, after the BJP swept the assembly elections in the Northeast.