Bengal: BJP accuses TMCP leader of attempting to burn photos of Tagore, Modi, Shah

Kolkata, Sep 7 (PTI) The BJP on Sunday accused a student leader of the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) of attempting to set fire to photographs of Rabindranath Tagore, PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on the campus of Chanchol College, alleging the act hurt the sentiments of people across the country.

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar, along with BJP’s West Bengal unit, separately posted a video on their X handles purportedly showing the TMCP Chanchol College unit president attempting to set fire to photographs of Modi, Shah and Tagore during a protest against alleged atrocities on Bengalis in BJP-ruled states.

"Such barbarism and audacity lowers the head of entire Bengali society, hurts the sensibilities of every Indian," he said.

PTI, however, could not verify the authenticity of the video.

Accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of staging a "hypocritic fake drama in the name of language movement," Majumdar said trying to set aflame a photograph of Tagore is akin to betrayal of the culture of Bengalis and hurting the sentiment Bengali 'Asmita' (pride).

Majumdar further asked police and administration to bring to book the perpetrators of such act.

Reacting to it, TMC's Chanchol MLA Nihar Ranjan Ghosh said the BJP was trying to divert public attention with such baseless allegations.

Chanchol is located in West Bengal's Malda district.

In a similar post, BJP’s West Bengal unit named Malda Chanchol TMCP leader AB Soyel as the main conspirator behind the act, describing TMCP leaders as "anti-national" and "anti-Bengal" for trying to burn photographs of national leaders and Tagore, who is regarded as a cultural icon of both Bengal and India.

A senior TMCP leader said district president Prasun Roy has show-caused the student leader to explain what happened during the protest to save Bengal's culture.

"From what we can gather from the video, Kabiguru’s picture was not burnt," the TMCP leader said.

He accused the BJP of doing cheap politics as they are being exposed before people of Bengal for their hypocritic attitude to Bengali-speaking migrants.

TMC's Chanchol MLA Nihar Ranjan Ghosh said, "Faced with internal bickerings within their own party, the BJP is trying to divert public attention with such baseless allegations. The BJP cannot lecture us on the glory and cultural heritage of Bengal. Tagore is in our breath, in our blood, in our very existence." PTI SUS PTI SUS MNB