Syama Prasad Mookerjee statue replaces Mother Teresa statue at Balurghat crossing

A statue of Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee has been set up at Mangalpur More (BJP More in local parlance), a popular crossing in Balurghat, South Dinajpur, replacing the statue of Mother Teresa that was removed from the spot around a week ago.

On Monday afternoon, Union minister of state and Balurghat MP Sukanta Majumdar unveiled Mookerjee’s statue at a ceremony attended by Balurghat MLA Bidyut Kumar Roy, Tapan MLA Budhrai Tudu, Swarup Chowdhury, the South Dinajpur district BJP president, and other party leaders.

The statue of Mother Teresa originally stood in front of Matri Sadan, a healthcare facility run by the Balurghat municipality.

Around two years ago, it was relocated to Mangalpur More, and around a week ago, it was removed.

Sources in the civic body said the statue had been damaged and taken away for repairs.

The development has drawn sharp criticism from the Trinamool and the Left Front. Both questioned the decision to install Mookerjee’s statue on the same spot where Mother Teresa’s statue stood. They argued there were alternative sites where Mookerjee’s statue could have been installed. Left supporters staged a protest at
the site.

The BJP leadership maintained that the statue of Mother Teresa stood in front of Matri Sadan for years before being kept in storage for a prolonged period. They claimed that ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Trinamool-led municipality installed the statue at BJP More “to change the identity of a location long associated with the BJP”.

“We have been demanding the statue of Syama Prasad Mookerjee at the site for a long time, particularly because the party’s town office is located nearby. We approached the municipality with a formal request, and following the approval, we arranged its installation,” said Majumdar.

Majumdar said the BJP More in Balurghat had been known by that name for many years.

“The Trinamool-controlled municipality unexpectedly relocated the statue of Mother Teresa from outside Matri Sadan to this spot. That statue (Mother Teresa’s) has been removed for repairs and will be returned to its original location once restoration is done,” he said.