As the BJP denied that its cadre indulged in the vandalism, the civil society was furious and the entire social media space was flooded with responses. The reason lies in Vidyasagar’s – as he is usually referred to – contribution to the making of the modern Bengali society. On ground, political parties and the civil society staged demonstrations and rallies and BJP leaders sounded apologetic, off record. Bengal never forgave the Naxals for similar action,” said Partha Sengupta, a former Communist Party of India activist. Mr. Sengupta organised the civil society to place Vidyasagar’s head on the pedestal after it was chopped off by ultra-left activists in 1970, albeit to underscore a completely different political thought.

Source: The Hindu May 15, 2019 11:33 UTC