Nadda goofs-up on Tagore's birthplace, TMC says BJP 'failed to do their homework'

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress leaders severely criticised BJP national president J P Nadda for his statement that Rabindranath Tagore was born in Visva Bharati.

For quite some time, some BJP leaders have been saying that Tagore was born in Visva Bharati. Nadda, who is on a two-day visit to Kolkata, repeated the same thing during his speech. Some months ago Bidyut Chakraborty, Vice-Chancellor, Visva Bharati had called Tagore an outsider.

Immediately after his speech, the All India Trinamool Congress in its Twitter handle mentioned that the Nobel laureate was born in Jorasanko in 1861 and Visva Bharati was founded in 1921.

Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Trinamool Congress MP, tweeted: "The 'Bohiragotos' are at it once again!

"Every single time a @BJP4India leader comes to WB, they bring a bandwagon of speeches laden with cultural disconnect! This time, @JPNadda Ji has claimed that Visva Bharati is Tagore's birthplace. First Birsa Munda, now Tagore. Shameful!"

It may be recalled that on November 10, Union Home minister Amit Shah during his trip to Bankura had garlanded the statue of a local hunter mistaking it to be that of Birsa Munda. When it was pointed out, then a pencil drawing of Munda was brought and placed on the pedestal of the statue to cover up the goof up.

Nusrat Jahan, party MP, also tweeted on the same issue. Jahan tweeted: "@BJP4India failed to do their homework, once again! But sure, we will help you out - Rabindranath Tagore's birthplace was Jorasanko, not Visva Bharati. Just because Bohiragoto No. 2, Mr @JPNadda claims so, you cannot re-write our history as you please! What outrageous comments!"