Modi-Mamata clash over Vidyasagar, Bengali pride as they go

With 'Bengali pride' firmly pitchforked into electoral discourse, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee Thursday accused each other's "goons" of vandalising the bust of Bengal Renaissance pioneer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's bust at a Kolkata college.

Days after the social reformer-polymath's statue was smashed to pieces, the echo was felt in faraway Mau in Uttar Pradesh where Modi declared his government's commitment to the "vision" of Vidyasagar and promised his grand statue will be installed at the very place where it was vandalised.

He said Trinamool Congress "goons" had committed a "sin" by wrecking the statue and alleged that the Banerjee government was trying to destroy evidence to save them.

Addressing rallies in Mandir Bazaar and Diamond Harbour in West Bengal, Banerjee rejected Modi's offer for installing a new bust of Vidyasagar and said 'Bengali pride' was hurt by the incident.

"He should do squats holding his ears (as a mark of repentance) for destroying the cultural heritage of the state. Media has shown how Vidyasagar's bust was broken. Bengali pride is hurt and people will not spare the BJP. It will not get a single vote in Bengal," the West Bengal chief minister said.

The two leaders attacked each other with vengeance as they made a last gasp push to shore up the prospects of their candidates for the nine Lok Sabha seats before the truncated deadline for electioneering ends at 10 p.m. tonight.

Stakes are too high for Banerjee in the last phase of polling schedule for May 19 as the TMC had won all these nine seats.

Modi addressed two rallies on Thursday, while Banerjee also held public meetings and a roadshow with thousands of party supporters and workers, many carrying framed photographs of Bengali icons like Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Sri Aurobindo.

"Dedicated as we are to the vision of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, our government will install a panchdhatu (an alloy of five metals) statue at the very spot and give a befitting reply to TMC goondas," Modi declared in Mau.

In West Bengal, Banerjee went for Modi's jugular, saying she does not want "alms" from the BJP.

"Bengal does not seek alms from BJP. We have the money for a new bust of Vidyasagar, who was part of Bengal Renaissance. Don't you feel ashamed for saying that Bengal has been reduced to a pauper state?"