Union Interior Minister Amit Shah visited Swami Vivekananda’s ancestral home in northern Kolkata on Saturday morning as he began his two-day visit to West Bengal.
Shah arrived in Kolkata late Friday night and is scheduled to camp in the ballot box state for the next two days, during which he will visit two districts, address a rally, perform a traveling show, have lunch with families of a farmer and a trunk singer, and visit Visva Bharati in Santiniketan.
“Today I am very happy and fortunate to visit a place that inspires not only the Indians but the whole world. This is the birthplace of Swami Vivekananda. Swamiji, during his lifetime, had spread the knowledge and culture of India to the whole world. He met the whole world with the universal brotherhood through his speech in the parliament of religions in the US He was the person who linked modernism with spiritism. He urged India to worship Bharat mata. In 50 years, India achieved independence. Swamiji’s values have the same relevance today as they did then, ”Shah said.
An 11-member team comprised of BJP leaders such as National Vice President Mukul Roy, State President Dilip Ghosh, and National Secretary General Kailash Vijayvargiya were there with Shah. The Union minister, however, did not respond to any media inquiries.
Meanwhile, TMC supporters held a protest on Sukhiya Street, less than two kilometers away.
Top BJP leaders in the state had previously said that Shah and BJP National Chairman JP Nadda would visit West Bengal every month until the elections, scheduled for early 2021. While Shah had come to West Bengal in early November , Nadda was on a two day visit last week.
Some former TMC leaders, who have resigned from the party in the last 72 hours, are expected to join the BJP at Shah’s rally in East Midnapore. The rumor is that former TMC heavyweight Suvendu Adhikary could join the BJP during Shah’s visit.
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