Broken idols: Malviya posts, cops rubbish religious angle
Times of India | 8 January 2026
Kolkata: Shantipur Police lodged an FIR against two persons for allegedly vandalising an idol workshop in Matal Garh area on Tuesday. Police said the incident stemmed from a personal rivalry between two families.
The incident came to light after BJP neta Amit Malviya posted photographs of the vandalised workshop on social media. "Around 50-60 Kali and Saraswati idols, painstakingly crafted by potter Jayanta Das, were viciously vandalised outside his workshop, in front of Loknath Temple," Malviya posted on X.
In his complaint, Das stated that around 85 idols were vandalised, causing losses of more than Rs 1 lakh. He claimed the miscreants were identified through CCTV footage from his workshop. Police confirmed that both accused are on the run. On Wednesday, Shantipur police said the two accused — Amit Dey and Asit Dey — were intoxicated while they carried out the act. "No political or religious atrocity has been found," an official said.