West Bengal BJP holds protests over burning of Rabindranath Tagore’s photograph by TMCP cadres

Taking a leaf out of Trinamool Congress’s book, the West Bengal BJP leadership on Monday (September 8, 2025) held protests with placards of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore hung around their neck, claiming that a local leader of Trinamool Congress student wing has insulted the national icon by burning his photograph.

A video posted by several leaders of the BJP on social media showed Trinamool Congress Chattra Parishad leader A.B. Soyel burning a photograph of the poet along with images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The protests by the student wing of the ruling party at Chanchal College were to highlight the recent attack on Bengali speaking migrants from the State in BJP ruled states.

Later on Monday (September 8, 2025) evening, the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad expelled A.B. Soyel and dissolved Chanchol College TMCP unit for burning Rabindranath Tagore’s photo.

Sharing the video of the alleged incident, State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said that “this was the real face of the Trinamool Congress”. “ Is this Bengali Asmita of Trinamool Congress. Is this the so called love for Bengalis by the Trinamool Congress,” Mr. Bhattacharya said.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, along with four other BJP MLAs, held protests in Kolkata on the issue. Mr. Adhikari reached Rabindra Sadan, the cultural complex in the city, to garland the statue of Rabindranath Tagore, but found the gates of the cultural complex locked.

The LoP demanded the arrest of the TMCP leader who had indulged in the act and said that the Chief Minister should give a statement on the issue. He was joined by actor Rudranil Ghosh, who is head of the cultural cell of the BJP. The West Bengal unit of the BJP has called for state-wide protests on Tuesday (September 9, 2025) over the issue. 

The development comes days after the Trinamool Congress leaders debated on the significance of Bengali language and culture in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly during debate on the targeting of Bengali speaking migrants in BJP ruled states.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has recently held protests and marches with the photograph of Rabindranath Tagore hung around her neck stating that she will not tolerate any attack on Bengali Asmita ( language and culture).

Commenting on the development, TMC leader and head of party social media cell Debangshu Bhattacharya said that the organisers of the student protests should have been more careful.