Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival at Tarakeshwar in West Bengal on Saturday carried significant symbolism, highlighting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) truly knows when the state was born. June 20 was chosen as the date because it marks the day BJP founder Shyama Prasad Mookherjee stood firm on the resolution for the formation of the Legislative Assembly and for an undivided Bengal to remain part of India.
Hence, PM Modi’s visit to Tarakeshwar, where the resolution was signed, served as a celebration of the state’s heritage through Pashim Banga Diwas, or West Bengal Day. This was PM Modi’s first visit to the state after the May 9 oath-taking ceremony of the Suvendu Adhikari government. The messaging was clear: to demonstrate that the saffron party understands the cultural pulse of Bengal.
"The Congress wanted to leave Bengal orphaned and what was left in West Bengal was infiltrators. Bengal’s history was subdued," said PM Modi, referring to the period of Congress and Left Front rule in the state over several decades.
The Prime Minister also targeted the former Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, accusing it of leaving Bengal in a regressive state and promoting appeasement politics. "There is a new freshness in the air of Bengal. ‘Poriborton’ has lifted people’s spirits. It feels as if Bengal has been freed from its chains,” added the PM.
While PM Modi spoke about developmental projects, there was a strong emphasis on restoring West Bengal’s cultural heritage, which he said had been lost during the years of Left Front and TMC rule.
"Today’s generation must be repeatedly made aware of the significance of West Bengal Day, which marks the movement against attempts to merge Bengal with Pakistan. When Congress capitulated, Syama Prasad Mookerjee launched the movement," said PM Modi.
The TMC has in the past referred to the saffron party as outsiders, or birodi zamindars. Now that the BJP is in power in West Bengal, the focus is on proving that it is here to stay in the land of its founder, Shyama Prasad Mookherjee.
