Call it desperation or baseness, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) would go to any length to ridicule Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or its leaders. On Thursday, it chose prime minister Narendra Modi the object of its poisoned darts.
Modi, who is the chancellor of Visva Bharati University by virtue of being the prime minister, was making a virtual address on the institution’s centenary celebrations, founded by Guru Rabindranath Tagore.
During his speech, Modi said so:
“When I speak about Gurudev, I cannot help but indulge in speaking a little about his visit to Gujarat. He used to visit his elder brother who was posted there. He even wrote two of his famous poems while in Gujarat.”
Modi also referred to Tagore’s sister-in-law, saying she introduced modern sari-draping in India.
Bengal minister Bratya Bose was quick to take offence on Modi’s remarks.
“Tagore’s brother who was in Gujarat was not his oldest brother. His wife’s name was Gyanadanandini, not what the PM said. The story about Gyanadanandini and the sari pallu is a myth, not true,” said Bose.
On the face of it, Bose in haste has ignored that Modi mentioned Tagore’s “elder” brother not the “eldest brother.”
Further Trinamool Congress head and chief minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Centreof “insulting” her by not inviting her to the event.
The BJP, however, produced the university’s letter inviting the chief minister and accused her of insulting Tagore by not attending the function of institutions formed by him.
Modi addresses the students, teachers, and other staff of the university via video conferencing. The governor of Bengal, Jagdeep Dhankhar and Union education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal also attended the event.
Founded by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore in 1921, Visva-Bharati is also the oldest Central University in the country. In May 1951, Visva-Bharati was declared to be a Central University and an Institution of National Importance by an Act of Parliament.
Modi began his address by remembering the Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.
“Visva Bharati is the worship place for the vision of India that Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore had envisioned for India”, he said in his speech.
“Guided by Gurudev, Visva-Bharati presented a strong image of Indian nationalist sentiment during Independence. Gurudev wanted the entire humanity to benefit from India’s spiritual awakening. Atmanirbhar Bharat’s vision is also a derivative of this sentiment”, he further added.
The Prime Minister is the Chancellor of the University, a Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) release stated.
Modi’s address holds a significant value not only for the university but also for the state which is going to have elections in coming to May-June.
The address comes at a time when the BJP’s campaign for the upcoming West Bengal elections has begun in full swing. The party is on a mission to counter the “outsider” tag accorded to it by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party Trinamool Congress.
Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah also visited the University and paid homage to Rabindranath Tagore during his two-day visit to the state.
