Agroup of six students of Jadavapur University and a former JU student on Wednesday blotched on the half bust of Shyamaprasad Mukherjee and also damaged it.

In the process they clashed with TMC workers before the police intervened and arrested the group. On Wednesday, at about 8.15 am near Keroratala crematorium ground, six men and a woman associated with a group named, “Bampanti Chattra Sangathan-Radical” gathered at Chittaranjan Uddyan.

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They blotched on the half bust of Shyamaprasad Mukherjee and also damaged it.TMC workers who were present in a nearby tea stall came rushing to the scene. The seven engaged in a clash with the TMC workers.

It was then that the police intervened with the officer in charge of Tollygunge police station leading the force.The seven were taken to Tollygunge police station. The Police Commissioner, Rajeev Kumar tweeted: “Six males and one female (age 22 to 29) who tried to deface the bust of Dr Shyamaprasad Mukherjee have been arrested from the spot by Kolkata Police and strong legal action is initiated.

No vandalism would be tolerated.” KMC, chairperson, Mala Roy stated the chief minister has ordered for restoration work and the Trinamul Congress won’t tolerate such vandalism.

Mr Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, state power minister said, “Trinamul is against such vandalism. These students are not not aware of the history and culture of Berngal.

We are against such act.” Later, a case was registered against the seven under sections 141(unlawful assembly), 143(Punishment.

Whoever is a member of an unlawful assembly, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.),147(Punishment for rioting.~Whoever is guilty of rioting, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.),427( Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 153A(Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 120B(Punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the IPC along with section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

They were produced in the Alipore court on Wednesday and remanded to police custody till 9 March. The names of the arrested persons are Debjit Bhattacharjee, Deb Chakraborty, Avishek Mukherjee, Biswarup Pramanik, Surajit Das, Jubi Saha and Subrata Ghosh.

Avishek is an ex-student of JU and aged 35.The others are aged between 22-29 years. The cleaning and renovation work of the bust has been initiated by the KMC under police vigil.

The state BJP leaders will organise a march towards Keoratala crematorium ground to protest against the vandalisation of Syama Prasad Mookherjee’s bust.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said Syama Prasad Mookherjee’s statue will be purified with milk tomorrow. Mr Ghosh also slammed those responsible for vandalisation of Syama Prasad Mookherjee’s bust in the city on Wednesday.

He questioned what were the TMC government and police administration doing when the BJP workers were being regularly attacked in the state.