Delhi BJP protests against attack on Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral house in Bangladesh

New Delhi, Jun 16 (PTI) Delhi BJP workers gathered near the Bangladesh High Commission in Chanakyapuri to protest against the attack and vandalisation of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s ancestral house in Bangladesh.
    Kachharibari is the ancestral home and revenue office of the Tagore family located in Sirajganj district. Tagore created many of his literary works while living in the mansion.
    A mob attacked and vandalised Tagore's ancestral home the district earlier this month.
    Protesters gathered at the Prime Minister’s Museum at Teen Murti Chowk and marched towards the Bangladesh High Commission, breaking through police barricades, where they were detained and taken to the Chanakyapuri Police Station.
    They were released after around 30 minutes with a warning, the party said in a statement.
    BJP MPs Manoj Tiwari, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Yogender Chandoloya participated in the protest. Police said Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva was detained along with some party workers.
    The protesters were carrying portraits of Tagore and placards with slogans that read 'India will not tolerate the insult of Bharat Ratna Rabindranath Tagore', 'Stop the assault on cultural soul of India'.
    Popular singer Sapna Choudhary also joined the protest.
    "Rabindranath Tagore was a great man whose written national anthems are sung in both India and Bangladesh. The deliberate destruction of his ancestral home is not just an attack on a building -- it is an attack on Bengali culture and Hindu heritage," Sachdeva said.
    He said that Bangladesh came into existence in 1971, but today, we are witnessing the dangerous forces that are influencing it. Bengali culture speaks of music, sweetness and art and if anyone tries to insult it, every Indian will raise their voice, he asserted.
    "We are united today to send a message that we will not tolerate any tampering with Bengali heritage. If India helps any country, it will not stay silent over injustice against Hindus there," the Delhi BJP chief said.
    BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said the atrocities being committed against Hindus in Bangladesh, especially the deliberate attempt to destroy Tagore’s ancestral home are "unacceptable".
    "Every child walks the path shown by Rabindranath Tagore. His words are ornaments of Bengal, but the message being sent by the destruction of his home with government support is unforgivable," he added.
    The Rabindra Kachharibari or Rabindra Memorial Museum, which was closed after the vandalism, was reopened for visitors on Friday, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)