Statue vandalism: Centre gets tough, release advisory to states

New Delhi : Reacting strongly against the vandalism of statues of communist icon Vladimir Lenin, the Centre on Wednesday released an advisory to states mentioning stringent action against the culprits. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also expressed strong resentment over the incident.

The government also assured action against any BJP leader found culprit such incidents.

"Incidents of the toppling of statues have been reported from various parts of the country. Hon’ble PM also spoke to HM in this regard and has expressed his strong disapproval of such incidents," the MHA advisory said.

"MHA has asked states that they must take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents. Persons indulging in such acts must be sternly dealt with and booked under relevant provisions of laws," it stated.

Apart from post-poll violence and pulling down of two Lenin statues in Tripura, Periyar’s statue has been vandalized in Tamil Nadu. A group of people has defaced the statue of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee in Kolkata’s Kalighat.

The CPM came down heavily on the incident and blamed it on BJP workers. Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee also blamed the BJP and the RSS for the incidents.