BJP stages march to Bangla Deputy High Commission in Kolkata to protest Tagore house vandalism

Hundreds of BJP leaders, workers, and supporters participated in the protest rally, waving party flags and raising slogans against the interim government in Bangladesh for what they termed as its failure to protect a site of immense historical and cultural importance -- Rabindra Kachharibari, which is now a museum.

Kolkata: The West Bengal unit of the BJP on Monday held a massive protest march to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, condemning the recent vandalism of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral house in the neighbouring country.

Hundreds of BJP leaders, workers, and supporters participated in the protest rally, waving party flags and raising slogans against the interim government in the neighbouring country for what they termed as its failure to protect a site of immense historical and cultural importance -- Rabindra Kachharibari, which is now a museum.

Senior BJP leaders led the protest march to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission located near Beckbagan in south Kolkata.

Protesters alleged that the attack was a "pre-planned act by radical groups" aimed at damaging shared cultural icons and weakening historical ties between India and Bangladesh.

"The vandalism of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral house is an attack on our common cultural legacy. We demand strict action against those involved and accountability from the Bangladeshi administration," a senior state BJP leader told reporters during the rally.

However, the Kolkata Police stopped the protesters from proceeding beyond a certain point by putting up barricades near the Deputy High Commission to maintain law and order.

The protest comes in the wake of the recent attack on Rabindra Kachharibari -- the ancestral home and revenue office of the Tagore family -- reportedly triggered by a parking dispute.

The incident led to damage to glass doors, windows, and parts of the building's structure. Authorities in Bangladesh have arrested at least five individuals in connection with the incident.

Though no relics associated with Tagore were damaged, the museum was temporarily closed for safety reasons.