Kolkata, May 9: Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee paid homage to Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore on Saturday by garlanding his portrait at her residence to mark Rabindra Jayanti. She claimed that restrictions had prevented public celebrations of the cultural event.

Banerjee stated that permission had been sought to hold Rabindra Jayanti programs at multiple locations, but the requests were denied, prompting her to celebrate at home.

"Permission was sought for celebrations at three locations, but it was refused. Therefore, I decided to observe it here at my residence. They also instructed decorators not to provide any assistance. I appeal to all like-minded parties to unite against the BJP,"she said.

Rabindra Jayanti, observed on Pochishe Boishakh—the 25th day of the Bengali month of Boishakh—marks the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore. The occasion is one of the most significant cultural events in West Bengal and for Bengali communities worldwide.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with newly sworn-in West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, paid tribute to Tagore at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground. PM Modi noted that it was a“pleasant coincidence”that the oath-taking of West Bengal’s first-ever BJP government occurred 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. 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.”

Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as the 9th Chief Minister of West Bengal, ending the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year tenure in the state. Senior BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu, and Nisith Pramanik also took oath as ministers during the ceremony in Kolkata.