Modi's speech at Visva Bharti draws flak from TMC

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech at Visva Bharti's centenary celebrations drew flak from the Bengal's ruling party Trinamool Congress. State IT Minister Bratya Basu said that PM Modi gave wrong information about Rabindranath Tagore's family and his speech has belittled Bengal's culture and traditions.

Kolkata: Trinamool leader Bratya Basu on Thursday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his message on National Education policy during the centenary celebrations of Visva Bharti University. Basu said that Modi in his speech at varsity denigrated Bengali culture and tradition in many ways, adding that Prime Minister made 'factual errors'.

In a virtual speech, PM Modi said that national education policy speaks of free flow knowledge, adding that there should be no atmosphere of fear in the country and knowledge should be free.

Basu, who is also the IT minister in the Mamata Banerjee Cabinet, said that Rabindranath Tagore's thoughts were free but his literature works were different.

The leader also accused PM Modi of providing wrong information about Tagore's family.

"Rabindranath spoke about moving on with everyone. But the Prime Minister does not practice that. Why is the Prime Minister silent on Hathras? Why is he silent on Dalit issues? Will the Prime Minister take the responsibility of those who are being oppressed by the so called- cow- protectors?," Basu questioned

He went to allege that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was not invited to varsity's centenary celebrations.

READ: Visva Bharti refutes Mamata's claim she was not invited

Responding to a query by a reporter, he said, "Even if the invitation, as you suggest, was sent last night, should that be the decorum? After all, she (Banerjee) is the chief minister of a state."

"Gujarat cropped up often in the PM's speech. Why is he confining Rabindranath Tagore to Gujarat?" He said Satyen Tagore's wife (Rabindranath Tagore's sister-in-law) learnt how to drape sarees in a certain fashion from Gujarati women. The fact is that she learnt it from the Gujaratis as well the Parsis. But the prime minister wouldn't mention Parsis.

"The PM also spoke about the varsities of Delhi and Lahore during his address, but failed to make a mention of Calcutta University, which played an important part in the country's freedom movement," Basu claimed.

READ: Nadda attacks Mamata for 'boycotting' Visva-Bharati event, she says was never invited

With PTI inputs