BALURGHAT, May 11 -- Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee condemned the vandalism of the Sidhu-Kanhu Statue in South Dinajpur, in a post on X on Monday, calling the incident "shameful and deeply provocative". He wrote: "In the Banshihari area of Dakshin Dinajpur, the statues of Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu, the legendary heroes of the Santhal Rebellion, have been vandalised. This is not mere vandalism. It is a direct attack on Adivasi pride, history and identity of Bengal's tribal communities. Bengal will not tolerate this politics of hatred and insult. Those responsible for this disgraceful act must be identified and punished immediately."
Tension gripped Deoria village under Ganguria Gram Panchayat in South Dinajpur's Banshihari block after miscreants allegedly vandalised the statue of revered tribal icons Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu, triggering widespread outrage among members of the Adivasi community. According to local sources, one of the hands of the statue was found broken a few days ago, sparking anger among residents. The incident comes amid ongoing political tension in the area over alleged attempts to capture party offices belonging to both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP.
Following the discovery, a section of agitated villagers reportedly took to the streets carrying sticks and staged protests in the locality. To prevent any further escalation of the situation, a heavy police picket has been deployed in the area.
Condemning the incident, tribal organisation leader Manoj Chare said the act was "absolutely unacceptable" and demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible.
Local resident Lakshmiram Murmu said: "Public anger had erupted after the broken hand of the Sidhu-Kanhu statue was discovered."
The vandalism has triggered sharp political reactions across the district, with demands mounting for a swift investigation and strict action against the culprits. Authorities are yet to confirm whether any arrests have been made in connection with the incident.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.