Vidyasagar statue row: Mahesh Bhatt calls it an attack on Bangla language

While reactions continue to pour in from across the country over the vandalisation of a bust of Pandit

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

during clashes between Trinamool (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers outside University of Calcutta’s College Street campus, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has also commented on the incident. The incident allegedly took place during a roadshow by BJP leader Amit Shah. Mahesh Bhatt took to Twitter to condemn the incident.

Mahesh Bhatt tweeted about the incident and said, "To attack Pandit Vidya Sagar is to attack Bangla language. To begin with he simplified Bangla for studying through Borno Porichoy "

The director also stated Vidyasagar's contribution to the Bangla language. It was latter's 'Borno Porichoy' (Introduction to the letter) that is still used as the introductory text to learn Bengali alphabets.

Vidyasagar is also one of the key figures of the Bengal Renaissance and he is credited for championing the cause of education and widow remarriage and many other reforms. The legendary personality's bust was placed inside a glass case in the college’s main office.