BJP condemns vandalism at Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral home in Bangladesh
The BJP pointed fingers at radical outfits Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, citing local media reports.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday condemned the vandalism at Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s ancestral home ‘Kachhari Bari’ in Sirajganj district of Bangladesh, alleging that the attack was “pre-planned” and politically motivated.
The BJP pointed fingers at radical outfits Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, citing local media reports, and slammed the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh for its “inaction” following the attack.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, party spokesperson and Member of Parliament Sambit Patra said, “According to media reports, the attack was premeditated, intended to send a larger message to the world by targeting the house of someone who stands as a cultural icon. The silence and inaction of the Yunus government on such a serious issue is uncalled for.”
On June 10, a mob vandalised the Rabindra Memorial Museum, formerly Tagore’s ancestral residence, and raised slogans against the Nobel laureate. The violence reportedly stemmed from an altercation two days earlier, on June 8, between a museum official and a visitor over the parking fee for a motorcycle. The dispute escalated into an alleged physical assault on the visitor, sparking public outrage.
Protesters later stormed the premises, vandalised the Kachhari Bari auditorium, and allegedly assaulted an official. According to local media, a three-member committee was formed to investigate the incident, and a case was registered against over 50 individuals.
Calling on the global community to condemn the attack, Patra said, “Rabindranath Tagore belongs not just to India or West Bengal, but to the entire world. Such acts of cultural vandalism cannot be tolerated. We urge the international community to take note and speak out.”
Patra also took aim at West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of maintaining silence over the incident. “This issue should have been raised by Mamata Banerjee herself. But her silence is strategically driven by her fear of upsetting a section of her voter base, particularly those with roots in Bangladesh,” he claimed.
“The Trinamool Congress operates on the principle of appeasement, but appeasement has a shelf life. It will come to an end in Bengal. While TMC plays vote-bank politics, we uphold cultural politics,” he added.
