BJP attacking culture of states, attempting to impose Hindi on all Indians: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused the BJP of attacking political and social icons across the country and trying to impose Hindi.

"After elections, BJP vandalised the statue of Marx and Lenin in Tripura, they also did the same with Ambedkar's statue in Uttar Pradesh. In Bengal, it was Vidyasagar's statue which came under attack from them. It is nothing more than an attack on democracy which BJP is engaging in across the country," she said talking to reporters here.

Continuing her attack on BJP, Banerjee said the party wanted to impose Hindi on all Indians and was also trying to make people forget their heritage by imposing their culture. She called it "political vandalism".

"Every state has its own heritage and language. It's our India. But BJP will not decide the fate of the state. They will now say the whole of Tamil Nadu needs to learn Hindi. Now will somebody take a course to learn Hindi now? This is not done."

"We respect each and everyone but the way it is going on nowadays in the name of so-called political vandalism is not correct. Every state in India has its own, culture, dresses and food style, that is the beauty of this vast country," Banerjee said.

Banerjee was speaking after on the sidelines of an event to mark the reinstallation of Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar's bust at the Vidyasagar College in the Hare School ground in College Street area. Earlier, the TMC chief herself marched in a procession to the College.

The bust of Vidyasagar, a 19th-century social reformer, was vandalised in clashes between BJP and TMC workers at Vidyasagar College during BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow on May 14.