CPIML Bihar State Secretary Kunal said on 18 February that it is ironical that Mahatma Gandhi's statues are being vandalized in the country in the 75th year of independence. During the past 10 days 3 statues of Mahatma Gandhi have been vandalized in Champaran, the land where he did so much of his work. The administration is trying to whitewash the matter by saying it was done by a 'drunkard'. This is extremely shameful.
On the night of 13 February the life-size Gandhi statue at Charkha Park was vandalized. A similar vandalization took place 10 days ago at Bhelwa Kothi in Ghoda Sahan where the statues of Gandhiji and Kasturba had been put up with people's contributions. Attempts were made to insult Gandhiji with a liquor-wrapper garland at Turkaulia. The administration cannot get away by blaming some 'drunken lunatic' for these serious crimes while protecting the real perpetrators. Nitish Kumar must answer for this.
The repeated occurrence of such incidents cannot be a mere coincidence, but are the result of a well thought-out conspiracy. As it is, the entire focus of BJP-RSS today is against Gandhi. These are the same people who glorify Gandhi's killer Godse. These attacks on Gandhi are being done because he is the greatest symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity. These are repeated attempts to re-assassinate Gandhi but the communal poison campaign of the RSS will never succeed in Champaran or anywhere else in the country. Today BJP is in power in most Assembly and Parliament seats in Champaran. If the BJP thinks they can convert Gandhiji's 'karmabhumi' Champaran into another Gujarat, the people of Bihar will soon divest them of this illusion.
Comrade Kunal appealed to the people of Champaran and Bihar to give a strong and fitting reply to the RSS hate campaign and to be alert to this conspiracy to denigrate Gandhi. Protests were held at many places in Champaran.
