On Saturday, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose sparked a political storm by unveiling a statue of himself at Raj Bhavan, marking his two-year tenure in office. The move, meant to coincide with the inauguration of a student art exhibition and drawing competition, has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties, who have lambasted the act as self-aggrandizing and a publicity stunt.
The ceremony, which featured a statue of the Governor, quickly became a topic of national debate, with videos and photos of the unveiling circulating on social media. Opposition leaders, including Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson Jayprakash Majumder, branded the act as “megalomania,” questioning whether the Governor would next “garland his own statue.”
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The statue, created by artist Partha Saha from the Indian Museum, was reportedly a gift to the Governor. However, this did little to quell the controversy, as many questioned the appropriateness of a sitting politician receiving a statue in his honor. In response, the Governor’s office clarified that he did not commission the statue himself, but instead, it was a gesture from the artist and museum.
Despite the controversy, Bose remained unshaken during the ceremony. In a brief address, he acknowledged the “sweet and sour” nature of his tenure and remarked on Bengal’s “very bad” political climate. He warned that while politicians might be affected by the state’s current tensions, the people of Bengal would not endure the situation for long.
The opposition’s condemnation echoed across party lines, with CPM’s Sujan Chakraborty calling it “a disgrace,” and Congress spokesperson Soumya Aich Roy labeling it “a matter of great shame.” The incident has escalated into a larger debate on the role and actions of public officials, with the Governor now at the center of a political and cultural controversy.
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