The West Bengal government has removed a football-themed sculpture located outside the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata [1].
The demolition marks a symbolic shift in leadership as the new BJP administration seeks to erase the visual legacy of the previous regime. By removing a monument designed by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the current government is signaling a break from the aesthetic and political priorities of the Trinamool Congress.
The sculpture was originally installed in 2017 [2]. Following the oath-taking ceremony of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari (BJP), the administration moved to demolish the structure in 2026 [3].
Sports Minister Nisith Pramanik (BJP) said the decision to remove the sculpture was taken after consultations with the Public Works Department and in keeping with plans to restore a stronger football identity to the stadium complex [4]. The move follows promises made by Adhikari to overhaul the state's approach to public works.
"We will rebuild Bengal," Adhikari said [5].
Officials within the sports department indicated that the sculpture had become a point of contention among the public. A senior Sports Department official said many believed that ever since it was installed, things started going wrong for the previous regime [6].
The removal of the artwork is part of a broader effort by the BJP-led government to redefine the public spaces of Kolkata. The administration cited the controversial nature of the design as a primary reason for its removal, a move aimed at creating a more traditional sporting atmosphere at one of India's most prominent athletic venues [4, 7].
“"We will rebuild Bengal."”
The removal of the sculpture is less about urban planning and more about political iconography. In West Bengal's highly polarized landscape, the demolition of a project personally designed by a former leader serves as a public assertion of power by the new BJP government. It demonstrates a strategy of 'de-branding' the previous administration to establish a new visual and political identity for the state.
