Lenin statue removed from Jiaganj altar overnight, BJP-CPI-M row erupts in Bengal
Synopsis
A fibre statue of Vladimir Lenin — already broken in a May vandalism incident — has now been removed entirely from its altar in Jiaganj, Murshidabad, with both the statue and the perpetrators still missing. The BJP and CPI-M are locked in a sharp blame war, and police have made no arrests despite two formal complaints, spotlighting questions about accountability under West Bengal's new BJP government.
Key Takeaways
The broken Lenin statue at Jiaganj Shripat Singh College , Murshidabad , was removed overnight; police confirmed this on 7 November 2026 .
The statue was originally installed in 2008 by the CPI-M-run municipality; it was broken on the night of 5 May amid rumours of replacement by a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue.
The sculptor, Mriganka Pal , is a President's Award -winning artist from Krishnanagar.
CPI-M Murshidabad district secretary Jamir Mollah has directly blamed the BJP; the BJP has denied all involvement.
No arrests have been made in connection with either the original vandalism or the removal; the statue has not been found.
A second complaint has been filed with Jiaganj police station by the CPI-M after the first complaint in May reportedly drew no action.
The broken statue of Vladimir Lenin has been removed from its altar at a three-headed intersection in front of Jiaganj Shripat Singh College in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, police confirmed on Saturday, 7 November 2026. The overnight removal has deepened a political confrontation between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in the area, with neither arrests nor the statue itself recovered so far.
Background: How the Statue Was Broken
The fibre statue of Lenin had been installed at the intersection in 2008 by the then CPI-M-run municipality of Jiaganj. It was commissioned by the then Jiaganj Mayor Shankar Mandal and crafted by Mriganka Pal, a President's Award-winning artist from Ghurni in Krishnanagar, Nadia district.
On the night of 5 May, a group of miscreants broke the statue. The incident followed rumours — after the BJP government came to power in the state — that the statue of Maratha icon Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj would replace Lenin at that site. The CPI-M alleged at the time that 'BJP-backed goons' were responsible. The BJP denied any involvement.
The Overnight Removal
Even in its broken state, the Lenin statue had remained installed on the altar. However, it was removed under the cover of darkness — and has not been found since. No arrests have been made in connection with either the original vandalism or the subsequent removal.
A written complaint has been filed with Jiaganj police station on behalf of the CPI-M. This is the second complaint filed by the party at the same station; the first, lodged after the statue was broken in May, reportedly drew no police action.
What the CPI-M Said
Jamir Mollah, CPI-M Murshidabad district secretary, directly blamed the BJP for the removal, alleging: 'Those who had previously destroyed the statue have now removed the statue to destroy the evidence. A complaint was filed with Jiaganj police station when the statue was destroyed. But the police did not take any action. The situation is still the same.'
The BJP's Response
The BJP rejected the allegations as 'baseless'. Gouri Shankar Ghosh, Jiaganj MLA and state Library Services Minister, stated: 'Destruction of any scholar's statue is not the culture of the BJP. Respecting every scholar is the main ideology of our party,' adding that the party believes in 'the politics of creation and construction' rather than destruction.
What Happens Next
With the broken statue missing and no suspects detained, the Jiaganj police are under pressure from the CPI-M to register and act on the fresh complaint. The incident has reignited debate over the status of Left-era public memorials in BJP-governed West Bengal, a tension that is likely to spill into the state's broader political discourse in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
Who erects them, and who gets to remove them. That two police complaints have yielded zero arrests is itself the story: either the police are unable to act or unwilling to, and both possibilities carry serious implications for the rule of law under the new dispensation. The CPI-M's charge that evidence is being destroyed is serious and deserves an independent investigation, not a partisan volley.
NationPress
7 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to the Lenin statue in Jiaganj, West Bengal?
The broken fibre statue of Vladimir Lenin, installed at a three-headed intersection in front of Jiaganj Shripat Singh College in Murshidabad district, was removed overnight from its altar. Police confirmed the removal on 7 November 2026; the statue has not been recovered and no arrests have been made.
When was the Lenin statue in Jiaganj originally installed and by whom?
The statue was installed in 2008 by the then CPI-M-run municipality of Jiaganj, commissioned by then Mayor Shankar Mandal. It was crafted by President's Award-winning sculptor Mriganka Pal from Ghurni, Krishnanagar in Nadia district.
Who is being blamed for the statue's removal?
The CPI-M has directly blamed the BJP, with district secretary Jamir Mollah alleging the removal was aimed at destroying evidence of the earlier vandalism. The BJP has rejected all allegations as 'baseless,' with Jiaganj MLA Gouri Shankar Ghosh asserting the party does not engage in politics of destruction.
What action has the police taken?
As of 7 November 2026, no arrests have been made in connection with either the original breaking of the statue in May or its subsequent overnight removal. The CPI-M has filed a written complaint with Jiaganj police station; a previous complaint filed after the May vandalism reportedly received no action.
Why is this politically significant in West Bengal?
The incident comes after the BJP formed its first government in West Bengal, triggering widespread debate about the future of Left-era public memorials. The rumoured replacement of Lenin's statue with that of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, combined with the subsequent vandalism and removal, reflects the broader cultural and ideological contest now playing out in the state's public spaces.
