India News | TMC, BJP in War of Words over Vidyasagar's Legacy

Kolkata, Sep 26 (PTI) The ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP in West Bengal engaged in a war of words, seeking to appropriate the legacy of 19th-century social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar on his birth anniversary.

Vidyasagar's birth anniversary was celebrated across the state with leaders of various political parties paying their tributes to the Bengali icon.

Also Read | SBI Clerk Recruitment 2022: Vacancies Notified for 5008 Junior Associate Post, Apply Online at sbi.co.in.

"It is a matter of shame for West Bengal that as we celebrate Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's birth anniversary, we are witnessing a situation where teachers' jobs are sold, and there is a full-fledged school recruitment scam," BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.

"Through his lifelong struggle, Vidyasagar fought against social evils to build a prejudice-free society," he said.

Also Read | Maharashtra Shocker: Eight Held for Practising Witchcraft, Black Magic in Thane District.

The TMC hit back, saying 'the land of Vidyasagar' has no place for "hate politics imported from Gujarat".

"The BJP leaders should be the last persons to lecture us on the values and principles preached by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. BJP cadres were involved in the desecration of Vidyasagar's bust during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls campaign in Kolkata," TMC MP Sougata Roy said.

"They don't have any respect for either Vidyasagar or Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. It is just cheap politics," he said.

A bust of the icon at the Vidyasagar College in north Kolkata was desecrated during a roadshow of Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Trinamool Congress and the BJP blamed each other for the vandalism.

Meanwhile, Bengali nationalist outfit Bangla Pokkho demanded that Vidyasagar's birth anniversary be celebrated as Teachers' Day.

"We demand that Vidyasagar's birth anniversary be celebrated as Teachers' Day in West Bengal. We have also written a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee requesting it," Kaushik Maiti, a leader of Bangla Pokkho, said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)