BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya claims the incident was an attack on Hindu faith under the Trinamool Congress government. However, police clarified that the incident was a result of a personal dispute
NEW DELHI — The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was forced to retreat from its initial communal spin on a idol vandalism incident in West Bengal’s Nadia district after police arrested two Hindu brothers, Amit Dey and Asit Dey, for the crime.
The brothers, known for creating disturbances while drunk, had an argument with the potter’s family and vandalised around 60-70 idols of Goddess Kali and Saraswati kept outside Jayanta Das’s workshop in the Shantipur area of Nadia, media reports reaching here said on Thursday.
The incident, which occurred on January 5-6, sparked a political controversy ahead of the assembly elections, with BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya claiming it was an attack on Hindu faith under the Trinamool Congress government. However, police clarified that the incident was a result of a personal dispute and not communal or political.
The arrested brothers were identified through CCTV footage, and Amit Dey has been detained for questioning.
According to police officials of Ranaghat Police District the idols belonged to potter Jayanta Das who has been making idols in the area for nearly 30 years. Das and his family had kept several idols along the roadside near their workshop at Agameswari Tala as part of preparations for the upcoming puja season.
Speaking about the incident, Jayanta Das said he was shocked to see the damage in the morning. “When I woke up, I saw that at least 60 to 70 idols were completely broken. Most of them were idols of Kali and Saraswati. It broke my heart because this is my livelihood,” he said.
Police said the inebriated Dey brothers had an argument with Das’s son. “There was a heated exchange after the accused, who were intoxicated, picked up a fight with the sculptor’s family. After that, the workshop was closed and the family left the place,” a senior police officer was quoted by The Observer Post as saying.
CCTV footage collected from the area later showed Amit Dey vandalising the idols in a drunken state. His brother, Asit Dey, was also seen at the spot for some time. The next morning, the damaged idols were discovered, following which a complaint was filed at Shantipur Police Station. Based on the footage, police identified both brothers as the accused.
However, the incident soon took a political turn after BJP’s Amit Malviya shared photos and details of the vandalism on the social media platform X. “Another brutal assault on Sanatan Dharma in (Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee) Mamata’s jungle raj. Around 50–60 Kali and Saraswati idols crafted by potter Jayanta Das were vandalised,” Malviya wrote.
Police, however, have urged people not to spread misinformation or give the incident a communal colour. “We appeal to everyone to maintain calm and not draw conclusions based on political statements. This is a law-and-order issue arising from a personal clash,” police said.
