Kolkata, August 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) on Sunday condemned the demolition of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s statue in Durgapur and demanded that it be restored at its original location within 24 hours.
Congress leaders in West Burdwan district alleged that the statue was removed with a crane and thrown into a forested area near Harshvardhan Primary School in Durgapur. The party claimed the statue was removed to make space for a Rakhi Bandhan ceremony held on Friday.
Congress district president Debesh Chakraborty said the party would launch a major agitation if the statue was not restored and action was not taken within the stipulated period.
“Jawaharlal Nehru’s statue was uprooted with a crane and thrown into the forest like this. A Rakhi Bandhan ceremony was held there. The MLA from Durgapur Purba was also present at that ceremony. We will not accept this insult to the former Prime Minister of the country. We are giving the police 24 hours. They have to take action within this time. Otherwise, we will launch a movement,” Chakraborty said.
According to the Congress, the statue stood outside a meditation centre located next to Harshvardhan Primary School and was removed before the ceremony.
However, Durgapur Purba BJP MLA Chandra Sekhar Banerjee rejected the Congress’s allegations and denied BJP involvement in the incident. He alleged that a section of the Congress had aligned itself with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and claimed the statue had been demolished by people associated with the ruling party.
“There are two groups in Congress. One group has secretly joined the Trinamool Congress and it is this Trinamool that has demolished the statue of Jawaharlal Nehru. Congress is trying to blame BJP by protesting,” Banerjee said.
He cited an earlier incident involving the demolition of union offices near the AVL office and said that a statue of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had remained intact after his intervention.
“The BJP is not behind the demolition of Nehru’s statue either. Look who did all this. We also want exemplary punishment for them,” Banerjee added.
The competing allegations have added a political dimension to the controversy, with the Congress demanding immediate restoration of the statue and action by the police.
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