TMC Expels Leader Over Attempt to Burn Tagore Photo Amid Political Tensions

The Trinamool Congress has acted swiftly to expel a leader of its student wing in West Bengal's Malda district. This decision comes after the leader was filmed attempting to set ablaze a photograph of the revered poet Rabindranath Tagore.

Trinamool Chatra Parishad president Trinankur Bhattacharya announced the expulsion of Chanchal College president AB Soyel, condemning the act as a dishonor to Tagore. The TMCP unit has been dissolved as a result. Bhattacharya emphasized that while Soyel's actions have been dealt with, the fight against the BJP's divisive politics will continue.

The incident has sparked a political confrontation. A viral video showed TMCP activists burning images of PM Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and inadvertently, Tagore. The BJP seized this opportunity to criticize TMC's positioning on Bengali identity, with a protest led by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari outside the locked Rabindra Sadan in Kolkata, demanding transparency and access.

(With inputs from agencies.)