Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday paid homage to BJP workers allegedly killed in violence following the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections, saying their sacrifice would continue to inspire generations of party workers.A temporary memorial honouring the slain BJP workers was erected near the stage at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground, where Suvendu Adhikari and his council of ministers took oath earlier in the day.The memorial displayed the names of the “martyrs” along with the districts they belonged to.Posting a picture of the memorial on X, PM Modi said, “Tribute to the courageous BJP Karyakartas! Even in the midst of celebrations at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata today on the formation of the first ever BJP Government in West Bengal, we remembered all those BJP Karyakartas who laid down their lives in the service of an ideal greater than themselves.”Their sacrifice remains permanently etched in the BJP’s journey, Modi said, adding, “Their courage will remain a source of strength for all of us.”Shah also shared a video of the memorial and said it had evoked “deep emotions” among party workers present at the oath-taking venue.“This memorial is stirring deep emotions in the hearts of every worker present at the oath-taking venue,” Shah wrote on X.“The sacrifice, struggle, and martyrdom of those noble souls are finally finding fulfilment today,” he added.“Salutations to all those martyrs who dedicated their everything to the nation and the organisation,” Shah said.BJP’s West Bengal president Samik Bhattacharya alleged that more than 300 BJP workers were killed by “TMC goons” in the violence that erupted after the 2021 election results.“They were killed for daring to dream of ushering in change in Bengal. We cannot forget their sacrifices on this day,” said Bhattacharya, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP. PM Modi also shared photos of his meeting with Makhanlal Sarkar, one of the most senior workers of the BJP in the state, calling him a “motivating figure” and saying that he continues to inspire people from all walks of life to join the party.At the swearing-in ceremony of Suvendu Adhikari as the ninth Chief Minister of West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took blessings from Makhanlal Sarkar, one of the most senior workers of the BJP in the state. He greeted Makhanlal Sarkar, presented him with a shawl and took his blessings.At the age of 98, Makhanlal Sarkar remains one of the early grassroots figures associated with the nationalist movement in post-Independence India.In a post on X, PM Modi said, “Today, as the first ever BJP Government takes oath in West Bengal, it is natural for all of us to remember Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee and his everlasting contribution to the nation and West Bengal in particular. No stone will be left unturned to fulfil his vision.”“During the swearing-in ceremony in Kolkata, had the opportunity to meet Shri Makhanlal Sarkar Ji. A devout nationalist, he worked with Dr Mookerjee and was even arrested in Jammu and Kashmir while accompanying him. He dedicated his life to our party, expanding its base across West Bengal, inspiring people from all walks of life to join the party,” he said.
