The West Bengal government announced Tuesday that it will remove a football-themed sculpture located outside the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata [1].

The decision marks a significant departure from the aesthetic legacy of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who designed the monument. The move signals a shift in the state's public branding as the current administration seeks to overhaul the visual identity of major civic landmarks.

Sports Minister Nisith Pramanik said the monument was an "ugly-looking statue" [2]. In further statements, Pramanik said the work was "ugly, grotesque" [3]. The government intends to dismantle the structure as part of a broader series of upgrades to the Yuva Bharati Krirangan, also known as Salt Lake Stadium [4].

Officials said the removal is also tied to the rollout of the Ashoka emblem at the site [4]. The sculpture was originally installed in 2017 [5] to mark the lead-up to the FIFA U-17 World Cup [5].

The administration has not yet specified the exact date for the demolition, though the announcement was formalized on 19 May 2026 [1]. The removal follows a pattern of the current government replacing symbols associated with the previous administration's tenure.

Critics and supporters of the former chief minister have historically clashed over the sculpture's design, but the current government's decision to "bulldoze" the work [3] elevates the dispute from artistic critique to official policy.

“"Ugly, grotesque"”

The removal of the sculpture reflects a broader political effort to erase the visual and symbolic markers of the previous administration. By citing aesthetic failure and the need for 'upgrades,' the government is utilizing urban redevelopment as a tool for political rebranding, replacing a personalized artistic project with the Ashoka emblem, a symbol of national identity.