West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday claimed that a group of "politically-blind giants" h vandalized a bust of Bengal Renaissance icon Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar before Lok Sabha polls in Kolkata and said his birthplace would be me an educational and tourist hub. Those who desecrated bust of Vidyasagar h intended to make people forget state's culture, she said at Birsingha vill, birthplace of social and educational reformer, in Paschim Medinipur district. A bust of 19th century educational and social reformer was vandalized during clashes between workers of Trinamool Congress and BJP when saffron party president Amit Shah was holding a roshow in Kolkata on May 14 before Lok Sabha elections.

Re: Mamata Banerjee Discusses Bengal's Borders With HM Amit Shah

't just a statue'

Both parties accused each or of desecrating bust. 

"Those who vandalized  bust of Vidyasagar may t kw who he was. y just went re and broke it. y did t kw that it was t just a statue. It represented an , a history and a culture. You cant destroy everything by vandalising a statue," Banerjee said.  

Re: Mamata Banerjee Warns BJP At Anti-NRC Rally: Can't Bring It To Bengal

chief minister was dressing a garing after launching a year-long celebration to mark 200th birth anniversary of Vidyasagar from his birthplace at Birsingha. 

"Vidyasagar inspired people to give up superstition and embrace path of progress. He led movement against child marri and for institutionalizing widow-remarri. And a group of wayward, insane and politically blind giants broke his bust intending to make people forget culture of state," she said. 

Re: Mamata Banerjee Intervenes To Pacify Congress And TMC MLAs

'Will develop Birsingha vill'

Paying her respects at Vidyasagar's ancestral house, where 19th-century icon was born on September 26, 1820, chief minister said, "We will develop Birsingha vill as an educational and tourist hub, just like Santiniketan or Jorasanko," she said. 

Santiniketan, a town about 212 km rth of Kolkata, where Rabindranath Tagore set up a university. place attracts thousands of visitors every year. Jorasanko is a locality in rth Kolkata where Tagore family h ir ancestral house. A part of it is w being used for holding classes of Rabindra Bharati University. Banerjee also inaugurated several government schemes and projects during  programme.

Re: Mamata Banerjee Raises Alarm On Kashmir: "everyone Hushed At Gunpoint"