Nehru statue allegedly removed and dumped in Durgapur sparks political row as Congress gives police 24 hours to restore it, while BJP denies involvement.
By Qalam Times News Network
Durgapur | August 30, 2026
A Nehru statue has become the centre of a political controversy in Durgapur after a large statue of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was allegedly removed from its location and dumped in a nearby wooded area.
The Nehru statue was located outside a meditation centre near Harshabardhan Primary School. The district Congress leadership has accused the BJP of being responsible for the incident and demanded that the police restore the statue to its original location within 24 hours. Congress leaders have warned of a major protest if action is not taken within the deadline.
The BJP, however, has rejected the allegation. Durgapur East MLA Chandrashekhar Bandyopadhyay claimed that the incident had nothing to do with his party and alleged that a section of Congress workers had covertly aligned themselves with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and were responsible for the damage.
Congress Alleges Nehru Statue Was Removed for Rakhi Programme
According to the Congress, the statue stood prominently in front of the meditation centre beside Harshabardhan Primary School. The party alleges that the statue was lifted using a crane because additional space was required for a Rakhi Bandhan programme held on Friday.
Congress leaders said the statue was subsequently taken away from its original position and left in the wooded area beside the school.
The incident has triggered strong reactions from the district Congress leadership, which questioned why a statue of India’s first Prime Minister was allegedly treated in such a manner.
District Congress president Debesh Chakraborty strongly condemned the incident and demanded immediate action from the police.
He alleged that the statue had been uprooted with the help of a crane and dumped in the nearby woodland while a Rakhi Bandhan programme was being organised at the site.
Chakraborty also pointed out that Durgapur East MLA Chandrashekhar Bandyopadhyay was present at the programme. He said Congress would not accept what it described as an insult to Nehru.
According to Chakraborty, the police have been given 24 hours to take appropriate action and restore the statue. He warned that Congress would launch a protest movement if the authorities failed to act within that period.
The Congress has also questioned the circumstances under which the statue was removed and whether the necessary permissions were obtained before it was shifted.
Durgapur East MLA Chandrashekhar Bandyopadhyay dismissed the Congress allegations against the BJP and offered a completely different account of the incident.
Bandyopadhyay claimed that Congress was divided into two groups and alleged that one section had secretly joined the TMC. According to him, people associated with that group were responsible for removing the Nehru statue and were subsequently attempting to blame the BJP for the incident.
The BJP legislator said Congress was trying to create a political controversy through protests and demonstrations instead of identifying those actually responsible.
Bandyopadhyay also referred to an earlier incident involving offices of several unions near the AVL office. He claimed that several union offices had been demolished on the initiative of the Asansol Durgapur Development Authority (ADDA), but said that he had intervened and ensured that a statue of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi remained intact.
He maintained that the BJP had no involvement in the Nehru statue incident and urged authorities to identify the people behind it.
At the same time, Bandyopadhyay said that those responsible should face exemplary punishment if they are found to have damaged or unlawfully removed the statue.
The allegations made by both Congress and the BJP have not been independently established at the time of publication. The police investigation and any available CCTV footage or other evidence are expected to clarify how the statue was removed, who ordered the operation and whether the statue was actually damaged during the process.
