‘Sacrifice etched in BJP’s journey’: PM Modi, Amit Shah pay tribute to party workers killed in West Bengal | India News
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah Saturday paid tributes to BJP workers killed in violence after the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections, saying their sacrifice would continue to inspire generations of party workers.A makeshift memorial in honor of the slain BJP workers was erected near the stage at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground, where Subvendu Adhikari and his cabinet took oath earlier in the day.The memorial displays the names of the “martyrs” and the district they belonged to.Posting a photo of the memorial on X, PM Modi said, “Tribute to the brave BJP workers! Even as we celebrate today at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata to form the first BJP government in West Bengal, we remember those BJP workers who laid down their lives in the service of an ideal greater than themselves.”Their sacrifice has remained a constant in the BJP’s journey, Modi said, adding, “Their courage will be a source of strength for all of us.”Shah also shared a video of the memorial and said it evoked “deep emotions” among party workers present at the swearing-in site.“This memorial stirs deep emotions in the hearts of every worker present at the swearing-in,” wrote Shah X.He also said, “The sacrifice, struggle and martyrdom of those great souls is finally being fulfilled today.“Salute to all those martyrs who sacrificed their all for the nation and organization,” Shah said.BJP’s West Bengal president Samik Bhattacharya has alleged that over 300 BJP workers were killed by “TMC goons” in the violence that broke out after the 2021 election results.“They were killed for daring to dream of change in Bengal. We cannot forget their sacrifice on this day,” said Bhattacharya, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP. PM Modi also shared a photo of his meeting Makhanlal Sarkar, one of the senior BJP workers in the state, calling him an “inspirational personality” and saying he continues to inspire people from all walks of life to join the party.At the swearing-in ceremony of Subvendu Adhikari as the ninth Chief Minister of West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took blessings from Makhanlal Sarkar, one of the senior BJP workers in the state. He greeted Makhanlal Sarkar, wearing a shawl and taking his blessings.At 98, Makhanlal Sarkar is one of the primary 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 in West Bengal takes oath, it is natural for all of us to remember Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and his eternal contribution to the country and West Bengal in particular. No stone will be left unturned to fulfill his dreams.”“During the swearing-in ceremony in Kolkata, Shri Makhanlal had an opportunity to meet the government. A devout nationalist, he worked with Dr. Mukherjee and was even arrested while accompanying him in Jammu and Kashmir. He sacrificed his life for our party, expanded its base across West Bengal, inspired people from all walks of life to join the party.”
