Former WB CM Mamata Banerjee holds Rabindra Jayanti at her residence, alleges celebration restrictions

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 9 : Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday paid tribute to Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore on the occasion of Rabindra Jayanti by garlanding his portrait at her residence, while also alleging restrictions on public celebrations of the cultural event.

Banerjee said permission had been sought to organise Rabindra Jayanti programmes at multiple locations, but it was denied, forcing her to hold the observance at her residence.

"Permission was sought for Rabindra Jayanti celebrations at 3 places. It was denied. So, I decided to continue it here at my residence. They asked all decorators not to provide any help...I appeal to all like-minded parties to stop the BJP," she said.

Pochishe Boishakh, observed on the 25th day of the Bengali month of Boishakh, marks the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore and is regarded as one of the most significant cultural occasions in West Bengal and among Bengali communities worldwide.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with newly sworn-in West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, paid tributes to Rabindranath Tagore on his 165th birth anniversary at Kolkata's iconic Brigade Parade Ground.

Prime Minister Modi described it as a "pleasant coincidence" that the oath-taking ceremony of the first-ever BJP government in West Bengal took place on Pochishe Boishakh.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, "In a pleasant coincidence, the oath-taking ceremony of the first-ever BJP Government in West Bengal took place on Pochishe Boishakh, the Jayanti of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. At the ceremony, tributes were paid to Gurudev Tagore. His timeless words have long stirred the conscience of the nation and his vision continues to illuminate India's development journey."

Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as the 9th Chief Minister of West Bengal, marking the end of the Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule in the state.

Along with Adhikari, senior BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu and Nisith Pramanik also took oath as ministers in the West Bengal cabinet during the swearing-in ceremony held in Kolkata.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Ministers JP Nadda and Dharmendra Pradhan, among several other senior party leaders.

Chief Ministers from various BJP-ruled states also attended the event, including Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Following the swearing-in ceremony, Prime Minister Modi also met the families of slain BJP workers Debasish Mondal, Soumitra Ghoshal and Ananda Paul.

Adhikari was sworn in as the 9th Chief Minister of West Bengal by Governor RN Ravi at a grand ceremony in Kolkata attended by Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several senior BJP leaders.

The BJP secured a historic victory in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, winning 207 seats and ending the Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule in the state. The TMC secured 80 seats in the elections.

Adhikari had defeated former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur by over 15,000 votes and also retained the Nandigram Assembly seat.

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