The new government under Suvendu Adhikari in West Bengal is taking rapid and assertive action across the state. The latest move is the decision to remove a controversial statue designed by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. According to information received, State Sports Minister Nisith Pramanik has announced the removal. The statue is installed outside the Salt Lake Stadium and depicts a football player with both legs interacting with the ball while the upper body features only a football placed above the waist. It was created to convey a creative, stylised visual effect and was positioned at the main entrance of the stadium.
Speaking after the Indian Super League Kolkata derby between Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal FC ended in a 1-1 draw on Sunday, Pramanik criticised the structure conceptualised by Banerjee and said it would soon be brought down. "Such an ugly-looking statue, two legs cut at torso and football above it does not make sense. It does not look aesthetically pleasing either, so we will not keep such a grotesque structure that has no meaning, and it will be taken down," Pramanik told reporters.
Political shift triggers big changes
With Suvendu Adhikari stepping in as Chief Minister, the political atmosphere has shifted sharply. For Trinamool Congress (TMC), the situation has become challenging as several decisions of the new government directly target alleged irregularities and politically motivated installations from the previous regime. The Adhikari-led government has sent a clear message to the public that criminals will not be spared and anyone attempting unlawful activities will face strict action.
CM vows to improve Bengal's state-run educational facilities
Earlier on Monday (May 18), West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said his government would make maximum efforts to improve infrastructure in state-run educational institutions. He said that although education is a fundamental right, government-run educational institutions, on which 90 per cent of the state's population depend, are lagging behind private institutions in terms of competition and facilities.
"While I will seek the advancement of private educational institutions, we will give maximum effort to improve the infrastructure of the government-run institutions," the chief minister said while addressing meritorious students who passed the class 10 and 12 board examinations with high scores.
BJP riding high after Bengal victory
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is riding a wave of enthusiasm after its sweeping victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections. The BJP secured 207 seats, while the TMC managed only 80. Following the landslide win, Suvendu Adhikari, one of the party's prominent leaders, was selected to lead the state as Chief Minister.
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