Two statues of communist icon Vladimir Lenin were brought down in South Tripura, the police said, as the CPM and its arch-rival in Bengal, the Trinamool Congress, blamed the BJP for the incidents.

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Section 144 imposed across 13 police stations in West Tripura district between 8 pm and 6 am on 5 and 6 March.

A statue of communist icon Lenin has been pulled down by some people with an excavator machine at Belonia in South Tripura district, the police said, with the CPM holding BJP workers responsible for it. Days after the Left Front was voted out of power in the state, Tripura CPM district secretary Tapas Datta said the five-feet-tall fibre glass statue, which was unveiled by the party's politburo member Prakash Karat a few months ago, was pulled down allegedly by BJP workers on Monday at College Square in Belonia, about 110 kilometres from Agartala.

"After pulling down the statue, 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' slogan was raised," Datta said. Superintendent of Police of South Tripura district, Monchak Ipper said the driver of the JCB excavator machine was arrested and later released on bail. The statue would be handed over to the authorities of Belonia Municipal Corporation, the SP said.

The CPM accused the BJP and the IPFT of unleashing an "unprecedented reign of terror" throughout the state after the election results were announced on 3 March. CPM state secretary Bijan Dhar claimed that 514 party activists were assaulted, 1,539 houses of the party activists were attacked and 196 houses set on fire since the announcement of results. He also claimed that 134 CPM offices were attacked and looted, 64 party offices were set on fire and at least 90 offices of different mass organisations had been occupied allegedly by BJP-IPFT supporters.

The true face of BJP and RSS is anti-democratic and fascistic. It is our responsibility to fight them and we will do that," Yechury said.

Speaking to the press after vandalism was reported in Tripura, CPM general secretary said that the BJP is an opportunist party who rode to power on the shoulders of parties who had gained strength in the region by fanning separatist sentiments. He said that they have shown there streak for opportunism in other state as well but we will reorganize e ourselves and fight their divisive ideology.

CPM General Secretary said that the BJP was merely a political mask of the deeply "fascistic" RSS ideology. He said that the RSS was banned in the past, and the condition to remove the ban was that they will never enter politics. That's why they needed a political front and that's how the BJP was born. Yechury also said that BJP thrives on political violence.

The comment outraged the Left party, which called it "shameful". "It is shameful that Governor is celebrating the attack."

Tripura governor Tathagata Roy tweeted out the picture of the Lenin statue being felled by the so-called BJP workers and commented on the fact that how a diplomatically elected government can undo things done by there predecessors.

" I am not responsible for it. What I tweeted was of abstract position. A new government has not been sworn in yet; reading the tweet in its own way," Tathagata Roy told CNN-News 18.

My tweet was of abstract position: Tripura governor defends tweet on felling of Lenin's statue

Speaking to NDTV, BJP leader Sunil Deodhar who was in charge of electioneering in Tripura, said that the BJP believes that others have the freedom of holding there own ideology, which can be in contrast with our own. But there is no space for violence. Unfortunately this happened when there was no government there."

During the telephonic calls, Governor Tathagata Roy and DGP A.K. Shukla apprised the Union Home Minister about the prevailing situation in Tripura, PTI reported.

Amid reports of sporadic violence in Tripura, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday spoke to the State governor and the DGP and asked them to ensure peace till a new government is installed, an official said.

Meanwhile, state gears up to get new chief minister

IPFT may get post of Deputy CM but party mum possible names

He also claimed that 134 CPI(M) offices were attacked and looted, 64 party offices were set on fire and at least 90 offices of different mass organisations had been occupied allegedly by BJP-IPFT supporters.

CPM state secretary Bijan Dhar claimed that 514 party activists were assaulted, 1,539 houses of the party activists were attacked and 196 houses set on fire since the announcement of results.

"Sitaram Yechury can go on making charges. I am not going to respond to that. These skirmishes happen after elections across every state from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. These are some overzealous supporters who will be dealt with according to the law," Roy told CNN-News18.

"People of the area wanted to erect statues of national heroes like Swami Vivekananda, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Mother Teresa instead of Lenin since long. Whatever happened in Belonia is the outcome of public fury," BJP spokesperson Subrata Chakraborty said. The party has, however, denied its workers were involved in the incident and blamed it in 'massive anger' amid common people.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party or its ideology does not propagate violence but the Left does," the BJP leader asserted, a day after a five-feet fibreglass statue of the former Soviet leader was pulled down by suspected BJP workers

Union minister Giriraj Singh today said people who were "oppressed" during the 25-year Left rule in Tripura might have brought down a statue of communist icon Lenin in the state.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh has also called up Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy and the DGP and asked them to ensure peace and check violence till a new government is installed in the state.

"Adequate central security forces and state police are available in Tripura for maintaining law and order and restoring peace," a home ministry spokesperson told PTI.

Deputy Speaker and senior CPM leader Pabitra Kar speaks on demolition of Lenin statue and post-poll violence allegedly perpetrated by BJP workers. He compares there act to Taliban's razing of Buddha statue in Bamiyan, Afghanistan.

In 1979, then prime minister Morarji Desai was on a state visit to Russia and Atal Bihari Vajpayee as foreign minister of India, accompanied him. In the course of his visit, Vajpayee had to visit Lenin's mausoleum in Moscow for a wreath laying ceremony. PK Budhwar, in his book A Diplomat Reveals refers to the incident and said that Vajpayee responded in his own style, when he was asked how he felt about the whole thing. "Hum mein aur Rossion me antar kya hai, hum Shiv ki pooja karte hain ye shav ki (What is the difference between us and the Russians. We worship Shiva, they worship dead body)"

"After the election results were out, goons of the BJP have unleashed a reign of terror and all-round attacks on members and supporters of the CPI(M), their houses, party offices and mass organisation offices throughout the state," said the memorandum which was submitted to Modi in Parliament

The party also gave a list of the alleged violent incidents and said 514 people were injured and 196 houses set on fire.

"We request your immediate intervention to stop these attacks and violence and to maintain peace and normalcy in the state" before the situation "worsened", the party said in the memorandum addressed to the prime minister.

Days after several statues of political thinkers (most of them Communist of Left theologists) across the nation were toppled, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly spoke to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and has expressed strong disapproval of such incident.

MHA has asked the states that they must take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents. Persons indulging in such acts must be sternly dealt with & booked under relevant provisions of law:

Have taken serious note of such incidents of vandalism, tweets Home Ministry

MHA has asked the States that they must take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents. Persons indulging in such acts must be sternly dealt with and booked under relevant provisions of law. The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi also spoke to the Union Home Minister in this regard."

"Incidents of toppling of statues have been reported from certain parts of the country. Union Ministry of Home Affairs has taken serious note of such incidents of vandalism. Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has expressed his strong disapproval of such incidents.

Union Ministry of Home Affairs released a statement which was an advisory to states to prevent incidents of vandalism:

In a series of tweets, the BJP chief also said that he had spoken to the party units in both Tamil Nadu and Tripura. "Any person associated with the BJP found to be involved with destroying any statue will face severe action from the party."

Soon after the MHA released a statement on the recent toppling of statues across the country, BJP chief Amit Shah tweeted and said that as a party BJP believes that "a wide range of ideas and ideologies can coexist in India. This is exactly how the makers of our Constitution envisioned our great nation to be. India’s diversity and the vibrant spirit of debate and discussion is what strengthens us."

BJP will always remain committed to ideals of openness and constructive politics...: Amit Shah

"Demand very strong action against the culprits and also want to give away the message that you just can't take away the contribution of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee in building West Bengal by this shameful act. We will rebuild it with more grace," Ghosh was quoted as saying.

BJP's West Bengal unit condemns the barbaric act of vandalising the statue of Syama Prasad Mookerjee at Keoratola Mohasoshan, the party general secretary Sayantan Ghosh was quoted as saying by News18.

Reports said that the bust is located at Keoratala crematorium, at the heart of South Kolkata. "BJP condemns barbaric act of vandalising statue of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh Bharat Keshri's founder Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee at Keoratola Mohasoshan, Kolkata. We demand very strong action against culprits", said Sayantan Ghosh.

Prominent right-wing ideologue's statue has come under attack. Syama Prasad Mukherjee's statue has been vandalised in Kalighat area of South Kolkata. Mukherjee was founder of Jan Sangh, predecessor of Bharatiya Janata party. Five people have been detained in connection with the incident by Kolkata Police.

A PIL has been filed in Madras High Court by advocate Surya Prakasam in wake of H Raja’s Facebook post on desecration of Periyar's statue. The High Court has agreed to hear the case this afternoon, News18 reports.

"I have removed that admin who posted the comment about #Periyar and have deleted the post. I totally condemn vandalising statues and violence. I express heartfelt regret for my Facebook post," says H Raja.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has also called for an all-party meet to discuss the stalemate in Parliament.

Politics surrounding statue desecration reached the Rajya Sabha today when Chairman Venkaiah Naidu had to adjourn the Upper House till 2 pm soon after it began at 11 am.

Those who vandalised Shyama Prasad's bust must be arrested, says BJP

Hours after a BJP office in Tamil Nadu was attacked, party National Secretary H. Raja on Wednesday expressed regret for his Facebook post that said statues of rationalist movement founder E.V.Ramasamy or Periyar would be razed to the ground in the state. Early on Wednesday a petrol bomb was hurled at a BJP office around 500 km from here in Coimbatore by unidentified persons. Later in a fresh Facebook post on Wednesday, Raja expressed his heartfelt regret for his Tuesday's post, which he claimed was a message posted by his social media administrator without his permission and hence he had removed it. Raja expressed regret if his post had hurt anybody's feelings. According to him, damaging the statues of Ramasamy is not agreeable.

After H Raja's controversial Facebook post calling for vandalising of Periyar's statue, DMK working president M K Stalin demanded the arrest of Raja under Goondas Act. “Nobody has the right to touch Periyar’s statue. He has been doing this for long time to incite violence. He should be arrested under Goondas Act and put behind bars,” Stalin was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

Tamil Nadu BJP chief Tamilsai Soundarajan issued a statement on Wedneday saying R Muthuraman, a party functionary who was arrested for damaging a Periyar statue in Tiruppattur in Vellore district on Tuesday, has been expelled from the party.

Tamil Nadu BJP general secretary Vanathi Srinivasan spoke to Firstpost and said, "H Raja has explained himself on the issue. This explanation should be accepted and protests should be dropped. This matter should not be politicised any further."

“Periyar is not a mere mortal, name or place. Periya is a philosophy. He is an ideology created for the freedom of working classes, for women’s freedom, to abolish superstitious beliefs. He does not merely live as a statue, he live in our hearts. You cannot remove him from our hearts no matter what power you possess. If you tell us the time date and time, Periyar supporters will be ready take up the challenge. H Raja should apologies and government should initiate action against him,” Sathyaraj said.

Actor Sathyaraj condemned the attack on revolutionary Lenin statue in Tripura. He asked the Tamil Nadu government to take action against BJP member H Raja who had said that Periyar statues will be demolished in the state.

Periyar is not a mere mortal, name or place, Periyar is philiosophy: Sathyaraj

Speaking on the issue of statue vandalisation across the country, newly-turned politician, Kamal Haasan slammed BJP leader H Raja for his comments on Periyar. "If the government is serious, it should take criminal action against all involved," says Haasan.

If the government is serious it should take criminal action against all involved in violence: Kamal Haasan

The actor was referring to the formation of Cauvery management board.

"There is no need to deploy police for protection of Periyar Statue. We, Tamilians, will protect it. I feel that this issue is just to divert attention from the Cauvery issue," says Haasan.

"H Raja is continuing to speak about Periyar and Karunanidhi in a defamatory manner. Raja, who is involved in these anti-national activities should arrested under the Goonda Act. To vandalise Anna and Periyar statues during AIADMK's rule is brazen. This shows that the state government is under the control of BJP," says M Subramanium, former mayor of Chennai and member of DMK.

Minister for Fisheries and Personnel and Administrative Reforms D Jayakumar addressed a press meet in Chennai and said that H Raja's opinion on Periyar issue is not acceptable and must be condemned. "This is Periyar's land. On this soil, AIADMK will never allow jealousy-driven poisonous rumours and malicious actions to spread. Tamil Nadu is a state of peace. Actions like these will be destroyed from their roots. The government has taken action to protect the statues."

"...What are you teaching our children... please stop this statue politics," Raj tweeted on Wednesday.

Surveillance has been heightened at 27 major locations in Chennai which have Periyar statues and police has been deployed to protect these statues.

DMK's MK Stalin took to Twitter and said that those who imagine to destroy Dravidian thoughts will not succeed. "Even in dreams, or imagination, these statues should not be destroyed again," Stalin said.

Those who dream to destroy Dravidian thoughts will not succeed, says MK Stalin

It is still unclear as to who were behind damaging Ambedkar's statue.

BR Ambedkar's statue in Meerut was added to the list of statues of prominent political thinkers which have been damaged across the country in the last 48 hours. However, according to News18, city administration acted fast and avoided any further deterioration in the law and order situation by replacing the damaged statue with a new one.

Speaking to reporters in Alwarpet, Chennai, Makkal Needhi Maiam president and founder Kamal Hassan, said, "These recorded views on Periyar are very low and punishable by law, according to legal experts. Periyar statues don't require protection, the Tamils ​​will protect them. Those who speak scandalously about Periyar should be the ones given security because they'll need it. We can't accept these expressions of regret."

Zilla Panchayat officials in Meerut's Mawana said that an Ambedkar statue was vandalised in the city on Monday. However, the officials have assured that action will be taken and the statue will be replaced with a new one.

Thamizhnadu Brahmin Association President N Narayana condemned H Raja's remarks against Periyar statues in the strongest possible terms. "In the future he should refrain from making such careless statements", he insisted.

Speaking to reporters after this meeting, he said, "Any violence by anyone is condemnable. BJP would never support these actions. Action must be taken against those who are involved in violent actions. Last week, when Pon Radhakrishnan said that extremism isn't dead in Tamil Nadu, he was condemned by the deputy chief minister. But then this petrol bomb incident has happened today. Vote bank politics prevents Tamil Nadu government from taking any action against the culprits."

TN BJP advisory committee met under party leader CB Radhakrishnan on discuss the incident early morning today when a petrol bomb was hurled at the BJP office in Coimbatore.

Earlier in the day, a petrol bomb was hurled at the BJP office in Coimbatore.

Perhaps in retaliation to the derogatory comments made against Periyar and the subsequent vandalism at his statue, members Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam claimed they forcibly cut poonals (Janeyu or sacred thread) of 8 Brahmins. They have surrendered at a police station in Chennai's Mylapore, The Times of India reported.

According to Times Now, Jeeva Nanthan and Gautam, both workers of the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TDPK), have been arrested in connection with the attack on BJP office.

"Views can be debated only by countering it and not through violence. I don't want to hurt anyone. Therefore, if anyone has been hurt due to the post, I really regret the action," wrote Raja. He claimed he was travelling at the time and did not know about the post. He said he has deleted the post and removed the person responsible for it.

'My admin did it': H Raja's defence on derogatory Facebook post on Periyar

Muthuraman was one of the two persons arrested by police for allegedly vandalising a bust-size statue of Ramasamy, in an inebriated condition, the other was identified as Francis.

The BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit sacked a party functionary for allegedly vandalising a Periyar statue. “R. Muthuraman is being expelled from the party,” BJP state chief Tamilisai Soundarrajan said in a brief statement.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday described as “shameful” and “mad” incidents of attacks on statues of iconic leaders in Tripura, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

"Trinamool government in West Bengal acted swiftly to arrest six people in the case of desecration of Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s bust. But, the BJP leaders are only engaging in unnecessary mudslinging while their workers engage in mob violence across states," she added.

"At least now, when they have come to power, BJP and RSS should give up political violence as an instrument to achieve their goals. We demand constitutional guarantee for the safety of people from BJP governments in states and Centre," BSP supremo Mayawati said.

"We initially let the damaged statue lay there as it was since we were not sure about the mood of the people. We wanted to things to subside a bit. But, now, as per instructions from higher authorities, we have decided to take the statue and store it in our office premises," Belonia Municipal Council's CEO, Amit Ghosh told PTI.

An imposing statue of communist icon Vladimir Lenin, which was pulled down by a group of people in South Tripura's Belonia, will be kept at the premises of the municipal body here, a top official today said.

With head severed, 'Lenin' to be kept at civic body premises

Bhim Army of Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, demanded that National Security Act be enacted against those involved in vandalising statues of Lenin, Periyar and Ambedkar

The issue of demolition of statues echoed in the Rajya Sabha today as DMK and AIADMK sought to move motion of adjournment. Chairman Vemkaiah Naidu and Union minister Ananth Kumar also condemned the incidents.

The Madras high court on Wednesday directed the Tamil Nadu government to ensure maintenance of law and order and peace across the state in view of the Periyar statue controversy caused by BJP leader H Raja’s message on social media.

The two parties that swear by Periyar's ideology are the DMK and AIADMK, apart from a host of smaller Dravidian outfits. But the late Jayalalithaa visited temples, participated in religious prayers and offerings, even though this was completely against what Periyar propagated. But even while practising her religious beliefs, Jayalalithaa never spoke against Periyar.

But was it indeed a case of overreach by the duo or is there more than what meets the eye? At a Tamil Nadu BJP level, this seems to be a case of intra-BJP rivalry between Raja and those who preside over the state unit — an attempt to score brownie points. But at a macro level, this could well be an effort to test the waters — to see if Periyarism is relevant and has currency in 2018.

By late evening, Raja and Suryah's provocative comments translated into reality when a couple of drunk men, one of them a BJP activist, vandalised a bust of Periyar in Vellore.

Raja was playing with fire and he realised it when the sharp reactions scorched him. DMK leader MK Stalin asked for Raja to be booked under the Goondas Act, Vaiko and Khushbu dared him to touch one Periyar statue. But Raja was not the only offender. SG Suryah, the vice-president of the BJP Youth Wing also tweeted: "BJP successfully completed the fall of Lenin in Tripura! Can't wait for the fall of EV Ramasamy statues in Tamil Nadu.''

After an MHA advisory was sent out to all states advising preventive action against incidents of vandalism, SHOs have been briefed to increase security in their areas in the National Capital. Police is making a list of sensitive and highly sensitive areas, and adequate number of personnel have been deployed around statues, a NDTV report said.

Massive protests broke out in Chennai's Anna Salai area as workers of various political parties protested against the BJP leader's comments.

Raja has apologised for the post, blaming it on his social media manager. However, Dravidin parties, including Kamal Haasan's newly formed Makkal Needhi Maiam have refused to accept the apology.

The BJP worker who defiled the Periyar statue in an inebriated state has been expelled by the party. However, it is mum on its national secretary H Raja, whose Facebook post added fuel to the whole controversy.

Pon Radhakrishnan, MoS Finance and Shipping, while addressing a press conference said, "Following vandalism of statues in Tripura and Tamil Nadu, PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah have issued clear and strict guidelines that while the party is ready to fight any political differences, it will only be done in a democratic fashion, not by acting against the principles of democracy which have been upheld by the party since the beginning. BJP workers in Tripura and Tamil Nadu will follow these guidelines as laid out by party higher-ups. Amit Shah-led ideological guidelines have helped the BJP establish majority governments in more than 20 states and BJP workers must remember this proudly."

Several AIADMK MLAs including Thamimun Ansari, Karunas and U Thaniyarasu have issued a joint statement demanding H Raja's arrest under the National Security Act. Earlier, Bhim Army in Uttar Pradesh also raised a similar request urging authorities to arrest all those responsible for defacing the statues under teh NSA act.

According to The Times of India , the men arrested for allegedly defiling a Periyar statue were not drunk and they had damaged it deliberately with a hammer, the police has said.

Jignesh Mevani takes to twitter on statue politics, says BJP men must demolish Manu statues not Lenin's or Priyar's

"I call upon the Tamil Nadu government to deal with his open call to violence peacefully but with uncompromising deployment of the laws of the land. A mere regret or belated statements from BJP leaders do not wash away their uncivil, and unconstitutional, support to the public challenge by their cadres to law and order both in Tripura and Tamil Nadu," he added.

"Vandalizing Periyar's statue is an insult to Tamil culture and challenge to the idea of India.The celebratory approvals from BJP leaders and constitutional authorities to the toppling of Lenin statues in Tripura and the defacement of Periyar’s statue in Tamil Nadu capture two stunning realities of the Modi era: A complete contempt for Constitutional values and the mainstreaming of violence against all ideologies and ideas that do not subscribe to the narrow sectarian views of Hindutva," Mevani said.

"H Raja had said earlier that he will hit Periyar with his slippers. If he is a real man, he will accept that he said this. It was wrong to let him live in this country after he made that statement," Vaiko added.

Speaking to journalists at Chennai airport, he said, "It is the truth that H Raja made a statement saying Periyar statues will be removed in TN. When Lenin's statue was removed yesterday in Tripura was Rajnath Singh in coma? Was Modi unconscious? Neither Modi's military might nor the police force of the Tamil Nady government that supports him, will be able to go near a Periyar statue without getting their hands chopped off first," he warned.

"Why hasn't H Raja, who is the reason behind the demolition of Periyar statue, been arrested yet," MDMK chief Vaiko questioned.

After an MHA advisory was sent out to all states advising preventive action against incidents of vandalism, SHOs have been briefed to increase security in their areas in the National Capital. Police is making a list of sensitive and highly sensitive areas, and adequate number of personnel have been deployed around statues, a NDTV report said.

Massive protests broke out in Chennai's Anna Salai area as workers of various political parties protested against the BJP leader's comments.

Raja has apologised for the post, blaming it on his social media manager. However, Dravidin parties, including Kamal Haasan's newly formed Makkal Needhi Maiam have refused to accept the apology.

The BJP worker who defiled the Periyar statue in an inebriated state has been expelled by the party. However, it is mum on its national secretary H Raja, whose Facebook post added fuel to the whole controversy.

Pon Radhakrishnan, MoS Finance and Shipping, while addressing a press conference said, "Following vandalism of statues in Tripura and Tamil Nadu, PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah have issued clear and strict guidelines that while the party is ready to fight any political differences, it will only be done in a democratic fashion, not by acting against the principles of democracy which have been upheld by the party since the beginning. BJP workers in Tripura and Tamil Nadu will follow these guidelines as laid out by party higher-ups. Amit Shah-led ideological guidelines have helped the BJP establish majority governments in more than 20 states and BJP workers must remember this proudly."

Several AIADMK MLAs including Thamimun Ansari, Karunas and U Thaniyarasu have issued a joint statement demanding H Raja's arrest under the National Security Act. Earlier, Bhim Army in Uttar Pradesh also raised a similar request urging authorities to arrest all those responsible for defacing the statues under teh NSA act.

According to The Times of India , the men arrested for allegedly defiling a Periyar statue were not drunk and they had damaged it deliberately with a hammer, the police has said.

Modi ji tell your boys to destroy the statue of manu, not lenin or Periyar. Mind well, exploited dalits will always cherish the legacy of aambedkar, lenin, periyar, Phule and some day they will definitely destroy the manu-murti at Rajasthan high court. pic.twitter.com/7r3F8KzlYn

Jignesh Mevani takes to twitter on statue politics, says BJP men must demolish Manu statues not Lenin's or Priyar's

"I call upon the Tamil Nadu government to deal with his open call to violence peacefully but with uncompromising deployment of the laws of the land. A mere regret or belated statements from BJP leaders do not wash away their uncivil, and unconstitutional, support to the public challenge by their cadres to law and order both in Tripura and Tamil Nadu," he added.

"Vandalizing Periyar's statue is an insult to Tamil culture and challenge to the idea of India.The celebratory approvals from BJP leaders and constitutional authorities to the toppling of Lenin statues in Tripura and the defacement of Periyar’s statue in Tamil Nadu capture two stunning realities of the Modi era: A complete contempt for Constitutional values and the mainstreaming of violence against all ideologies and ideas that do not subscribe to the narrow sectarian views of Hindutva," Mevani said.

"H Raja had said earlier that he will hit Periyar with his slippers. If he is a real man, he will accept that he said this. It was wrong to let him live in this country after he made that statement," Vaiko added.

Speaking to journalists at Chennai airport, he said, "It is the truth that H Raja made a statement saying Periyar statues will be removed in TN. When Lenin's statue was removed yesterday in Tripura was Rajnath Singh in coma? Was Modi unconscious? Neither Modi's military might nor the police force of the Tamil Nady government that supports him, will be able to go near a Periyar statue without getting their hands chopped off first," he warned.

"Why hasn't H Raja, who is the reason behind the demolition of Periyar statue, been arrested yet," MDMK chief Vaiko questioned.

Tripura violence Latest updates: MHA has asked states that they must take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents. Persons indulging in such acts must be sternly dealt with and booked under relevant provisions of law. The Home Ministry advisory also asked states to make District Magistrates and SSPs personally accountable for upholding law and order in their respective regions.

As reports of statue vandalism filtered in from various parts of the country, West Bengal police said that seven people have been arrested for defiling the Syama Prasad Mookerjee's statue. Reports suggested that the incident was apparently a tit-for-tat attack at BJP ideologue after party workers allegedly uprooted two Lenin statues in Tripura. Media reports also claimed that the miscreants were students of Jadhavpur university.

Latest reports say that a statue of BR Ambedkar in western Uttar Pradesh's Meerut was demolished by protesters on Monday. News18, however, reports that the administration in Meerut reacted swiftly and replaced the desecrated statue with a new one, ensuring that the law and order situation didn't go out of hand.

The news comes in the wake of several such incidents where statues of prominent political thinkers were defaced or desecrated. Speaking to reporters in Chennai, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan said that no police is required to protect the statue of Periyar. "We, Tamilians, will protect Periyar," Haasan said in Chennai.

After Lenin's statue in Tripura and Periyar's statue in Tamil Nadu, bust of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee was damaged in Kolkata's Chittaranjan Das Park inside Kalighat Crematorium on Wednesday morning.

The incident took place around 7am when a group of six students, claiming to be from the Jadavpur University’s ‘Radical’ students’ organisation, gathered in front of the park with placards condemning the vandalisation of Lenin statues in Tripura. Police said the six students have been detained.

Six people have been detained in Kolkata for vandalising the statue. The arrest comes at a time when the issue of vandalism of Periyar and Lenin's statue has reached the Parliament. An all-party meeting has been called at 1 pm to break the deadlock arising out of the issue.

After a BJP office in Tamil Nadu was attacked, party national secretary H Raja expressed regret for his Facebook post that said statues of rationalist movement founder EVRamasamy or Periyar would be razed to the ground in the state. Early on Wednesday a petrol bomb was hurled at a BJP office around 500 km from here in Coimbatore by unidentified persons.

Later in a fresh Facebook post on Wednesday, Raja expressed his heartfelt regret for his Tuesday's post, which he claimed was a message posted by his social media administrator without his permission and hence he had removed it.

Prominent right-wing ideologue's statue has come under attack. Syama Prasad Mukherjee's statue has been vandalised in Kalighat area of South Kolkata. Mukherjee was founder of Jan Sangh, predecessor of Bharatiya Janata party. Five people have been detained in connection with the incident by Kolkata Police.

The Union Home Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday and said that the ministry has taken serious note of such incidents of vandalism. Rajnath Singh has expressed his strong disapproval of such incidents, the statement further added. "MHA has asked the states that they must take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents. Persons indulging in such acts must be sternly dealt with and booked under relevant provisions of law."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strongly disapproved incidents of vandalism reported from certain parts of the country, ANI reports. Incidents of toppling statues have been reported from certain parts of the country.

Two statues of communist icon Vladimir Lenin were brought down in South Tripura, the police said, as the CPM and its arch-rival in Bengal, the Trinamool Congress, blamed the BJP for the incidents.

The statues were pulled down just days after the Left was defeated in Assembly polls by the BJP and its ally IPFT, which together won a two-third majority in the House in a state where the CPI(M) was in power for 25 years.

A five-foot high fibre glass statue of Lenin was toppled at Belonia yesterday, while a smaller figure was razed at Sabroom two days ago, district superintendent of police Monchak Ipper said.

Tripura chief minister-designate Biplab Deb has urged the people of the state to maintain peace and said anybody indulging in violence would be punished.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to state Governor Tathagatha Roy and the director general of police, asking them to ensure peace till a new government was installed, an official said in New Delhi.

The demolition at Belonia evoked a sharp reaction from Trinamool Congress chief and Mamata Banerjee, who blamed the BJP and the RSS for the incidents.

Tripura CPI(M) district secretary Tapas Datta alleged that the statue, unveiled by the party's Politburo member and former general secretary Prakash Karat a few months ago, was razed by BJP workers yesterday at College Square in Belonia, about 110km from here.

"After pulling down the statue, slogans of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' were raised,'' Datta told PTI.

Ipper said the driver of the JCB excavator machine allegedly used to bring down the Lenin figure at Belonia was arrested and a notice sent to its owner.

The statue would be handed over to the authorities of the Belonia Municipal Corporation, he said.

The incidents took a controversial turn with a tweet posted by Governor Roy.

''What one democratically elected government can do another democratically elected government can undo. And vice versa'', he tweeted.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who criticised the incidents, described the tweet as "unfortunate".

''The tweet by the governor is unfortunate ... This shows how constitutional posts are being undermined," he said.

Asked by a TV news channel for his comment, Roy said, "'Yechury may go on making charges. It is not my duty to reply.''

Prohibitory orders were clamped on several areas of West Tripura district including - Srinagar, Lefunga, Mandai, Amtali, Radhapur, Arundhatinagar, Jirania, Mohanpur following post-poll violence, district magistrate Milind Ramteke said.

The CPI(M) accused the BJP and the IPFT of unleashing an "unprecedented reign of terror" across the state after the election results were announced on March 3.

Yechury alleged in Kolkata that 514 party activists have been assaulted, 1,539 houses of party activists attacked and 196 houses set ablaze in the last few days.

He also claimed 134 CPI(M) offices were attacked and looted, 64 party offices set on fire and 90 offices of mass organisations occupied by BJP-IPFT supporters.

The party top brass including Yechury and Politburo members Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat and Surjya Kanta Mishra led a rally in Kolkata, which ended in front of a statue of Lenin at Dharmatalla in the heart of the city.

Tripura CPI(M) state secretary Bijan Dhar appealed to the state administration and the BJP to "stop the violence".

''In a democratic system a change of government is usual, but violence in such a grave form is not acceptable," he said.

The police today said it had received complaints of post-poll violence from various parts of the state since Sunday night.

Senior CPI leader D Raja said while one party may win and another party lose an election, it did not mean either could indulge in vandalism.

''Lenin is considered one of the tallest leaders of the world. We should have that respect,'' he told a TV news channel.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the RSS-BJP for their alleged involvement in the pulling down of Lenin's statues.

"It is not one's job to pull down the statue of an icon after coming to power in a state," she said at a public meeting in Bankura in West Bengal.

Tripura's BJP vice-president Subal Bhowmick had alleged yesterday that CPI(M) activists assaulted 49 BJP supporters, 17 of whom had to be hospitalised.