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The Print
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
BJP slams Yunus govt ‘inaction' after Tagore mansion attacked in Bangladesh—'Islamists sending message'
On Tuesday, a mob reportedly vandalised the house, now a museum, in Sirajganj, Bangladesh, and assaulted the museum director, only two days after an altercation between a visitor and the museum staff over parking fees escalated into a local protest. The mob targeted the heritage site, including an auditorium, following which the authorities formed a three-member committee to investigate the matter. The police have reportedly booked 50 persons so far. At a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, 'The behaviour of the Bangladesh interim government of Muhammad Yunus is not appropriate. It has taken no action so far. It could not protect such a significant international monument. A deplorable message goes out to the world. The BJP condemns this behaviour.' New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has attacked the Muhammad Yunus-led Bangladesh interim government for its 'inaction' after an attack on the ancestral home of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore on 10 June. The BJP criticised Yunus Thursday for failing to save the UNESCO-protected Rabindra Kachharibari from a 'pre-planned attack' by Islamists, with the incident turning into a diplomatic flashpoint. Sambit Patra, however, said that the members of Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam were suspected to be behind the attack. Calling the incident an ideological attack on the ideology of Tagore, Patra said, 'Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore was no ordinary figure. He was not just a literary icon; he was a multifaceted individual who made a significant contribution to the world. He was a man with a personality that went beyond borders.' BJP leader and West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, on the other hand, pointed fingers at Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Chhatra Shibir activists for the vandalism. 'The sacred legacy of our most precious Kobiguru Rabindranath Thakur was desecrated in Sirajganj, Bangladesh, where a mob led by BNP and Chhatra Shibir activists vandalized the historic Rabindra Kachari Bari,' Adhikari wrote in an X post. He also added political colour to his comments. Comparing the Mamata Banerjee-led government and the Yunus government and accusing both of giving space to radical forces, he warned, 'This is a wake-up call for the Hindus of West Bengal. When extremist forces gain ground, they spare no one; not even a figure revered worldwide like Tagore.' BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya wrote on X: 'The mob raised hateful slogans against Tagore, shattered windows, and destroyed furniture—an open assault on Bengal's cultural soul … Whether it is attacks on temples, disruption of Hindu livelihoods, or the suppression of age-old traditions—Bengal's civilisational core is under siege. Culture, identity, and faith—all are being targeted.' Pre-planned attack 'Today, the topic is Bangladesh. We are not intruding on the international domain. However, it is about Rabindranath Tagore, so the BJP takes it very seriously and sensitively. His ancestral house in Bangladesh was attacked and damaged,' Sambit Patra told the media, adding, 'His Kachharibari, built by his grandfather, was attacked.' Patra further alleged, 'We are getting to know that the people of Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam carried out this attack. It is coming to light that this was a pre-planned attack. For five days, they planned the attack on the house of Rabindranath Tagore, who was the foundation and pillar of our civilisation and culture of Bengal, so that they could send a big message to the world.' Since Yunus took the reins in Bangladesh after the fall of Awami League leader and ex-PM Sheikh Hasina, the New Delhi-Dhaka relations have deteriorated, with the former accusing Dhaka of failing to protect minorities or check anti-Hindu violence. Moreover, India and the external affairs minister have condemned Yunus for calling Northeast India 'landlocked' during his trip to China and did not take his meeting with the deputy speaker of Nepal in good faith. 'We are the only guardians of the ocean,' Yunus also said during his China visit in March this year while inviting Chinese investment to Bangladesh. He went further, suggesting that the geographical placement of China offered a 'huge possibility', claiming the region could become 'an extension of the Chinese economy'. 'From Bangladesh, you can go anywhere you want. The ocean is our backyard,' Yunus declared. On Wednesday, Yunus also voiced his problem with India. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had brushed aside his request to prevent Sheikh Hasina from making political statements from Indian soil, where she had landed after waves of anti-quota protests drove her out of Bangladesh on 5 August 2024. (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: Bangladesh elections in April 2026, Yunus announces in televised address
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
TMC, BJP condemn vandalism at Tagore's ancestral home in Bangladesh
The ancestral home of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in Bangladesh's Sirajganj district was vandalised earlier this week following a confrontation between a visitor and museum staff, prompting strong condemnation from leaders across the political spectrum in West Bengal. The incident took place at the historic Kachharibari, now a museum known as the Rabindra Memorial Museum. According to local reports, a dispute broke out between a visitor and staff at the entrance over a parking fee for a motorcycle. The visitor was allegedly confined to a room and physically assaulted, which led to a local outcry. A mob reportedly stormed the premises, damaging property and attacking officials. The site has since been closed to the public, and authorities have launched an investigation. West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari blamed the attack on activists of the BNP and Chhatra Shibir in a post on social media. 'The sacred legacy of our most precious Kobiguru Rabindranath Thakur was desecrated in Sirajganj, Bangladesh… This shameful and utterly disgraceful act of destruction targeted a site that embodies Bengal's cultural soul and Tagore's universal message of humanity,' he posted. Adhikari said he also raised the issue at the Snan Yatra celebration of Jagannath Dev at the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in Kolkata on Monday. He called the incident a 'wake-up call' for Hindus in West Bengal. 'When extremist forces gain ground, they spare no one; not even a figure revered worldwide like Tagore. The attack on Kachharibari is not just an assault on a building—it's an attack on our shared heritage, our identity, and our values,' he continued in his post. The sacred legacy of our most precious Kobiguru Rabindranath Thakur was desecrated in Sirajganj, Bangladesh, where a mob led by BNP and Chhatra Shibir activists vandalized the historic Rabindra Kachari Bari. This shameful & utterly disgraceful act of destruction targeted a site… — Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) June 12, 2025 He also referred to areas in West Bengal such as Malda, Murshidabad, and Maheshtala, claiming that 'demographic changes' were putting cultural sites at risk. 'The BJP is committed to safeguarding our cultural roots… The way things are going ahead in West Bengal, mimicking the rampage of Radical Islamist Forces with the aid and abetment of the (Chief Minister) Mamata Banerjee government, if there is no course correction in 2026, then similar vandalism will happen in Jorasanko Thakurbari and Santiniketan in a few years' time,' he alleged. The Trinamool Congress also condemned the attack. 'We strongly condemn the vandalism of Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral home in Bangladesh's Sirajganj district. Gurudev is a symbol of Bengal's cultural heritage and a global icon of literature and humanism,' the party said in a statement. 'Such acts of disrespect are an affront to every Bengali's identity and pride. We urge the Central Government to take cognizance and initiate bilateral dialogue so the culprits are brought to justice. Our icons are not collateral damage for mob fury.' We strongly condemn the vandalism of Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral home in Bangladesh's Sirajganj district. Gurudev is a symbol of Bengal's cultural heritage and a global icon of literature and humanism. Such acts of disrespect are an affront to every Bengali's… — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) June 12, 2025 BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar also criticised the incident, calling it 'shameful' and 'outrageous'. In a post on X, he said: 'Even the ancestral home of Nobel laureate and global icon Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore is not spared—vandalised under the rule of Mohammad Yunus in Bangladesh… This attack is not just on a building—it is a direct assault on the soul of Bengali identity, on the legacy of free thought, and on the very symbol of art and intellect. One question echoes out loud — is Tagore now a 'criminal' too in Bangladesh, simply because he was a Hindu?' On Tuesday, the museum auditorium was vandalised and one of its directors reportedly assaulted. Md Habibur Rahman, custodian of the Kachharibari, told local media that the site had been shut temporarily due to 'unavoidable circumstances' and that the entire premises was now under official surveillance. Located in Shahzadpur in Bangladesh's Rajshahi division, the two-storey Kachharibari building was constructed by Tagore's grandfather, Dwarkanath Tagore, in 1840. Rabindranath Tagore spent considerable time at the estate, where he composed many of his literary works.
