BJP government razes Mamata's 'grotesque' football statue at Salt Lake
What's the story
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has demolished a controversial football-themed sculpture at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. The sculpture, which was designed by Mamata Banerjee and installed before the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, had drawn mixed reactions from the public. Many had called it an "eyesore" and "grotesque," India Today reported.
Removal promise
The statue was located near VVIP gate of stadium
The sculpture, which featured two legs cut at the torso and a football above them, was located near the VVIP gate of the stadium. Its removal comes after Bengal Sports Minister Nisith Pramanik had promised to take it down. Pramanik had earlier described the statue as "grotesque" and aesthetically unpleasing for such an iconic stadium.
Political statement
Pramanik linked statue's installation to TMC's decline
Pramanik had also linked the statue's installation to the decline of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). He said, "I feel that after this statue was installed, the bad days of the previous government started." The minister had also announced plans for infrastructure upgrades at the stadium. BJP leader Keya Ghosh also reacted to the sculpture's removal, posting on X, "Remember this abomination in front of Salt Lake stadium? Now it has been removed as promised."