A war of words broke out between the BJP and the TMC after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's virtual address at the centenary celebrations of West Bengal's Visva Bharati University.
The ceremony was also attended by Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' and West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.
However, just as the prime minister finished his speech, the Trinamool Congress alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had not been invited to the function.
'No Invitation, No Phone': Mamata Banerjee
When asked in a press conference about why she chose to skip the function, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that she received 'no invitation, no phone'.
"I have received a request asking me to come to the university when I'm in Bolpur on the 28 December. But I don't have time then. About today's event there was no communication," said Banerjee.
"I congratulate those who have built and saved Visva Bharati. Just because a religious extremist has come now does not mean that they can ruin the university in a day," she further added.
Speaking on the prime minister's Visva Bharati speech, TMC minister and leader Bratya Basu further said that he did not understand why the prime minister wanted to establish Tagore's connection with Gujarat.
"Tagore is a world poet. Why restrict him to a region?" asked Basu.
Basu further said that Modi has spoken a half-truth about Surendranath Tagore, Jnanadanandini Devi. Modi had said that Jnanadanandini borrowed the left-side pallu style of saree-wearing from Gujarati women.
"This is half-truth because Jnanadanandini Devi also borrowed that style from Farsi women but he won't mention Farsi women," said Basu, asserting that it was against the secular principles vouched for by Tagore.
'Invite Sent 20 Days in Advance': University
Sources in the university have, however, said that the invite to the chief minister was sent 20 days in advance ie on 4 December.
The same was reiterated by the BJP.
"Visva Bharati had sent invite to WB CM on 4 Dec2020. But for Pishi, politics is more important than the legacy of Gurudev Tagore! Never ever has a CM insulted Tagore’s Viswa Bharati like this! Pishi is impersonation of narrow mindedness that is pushing Bengal to utter darkness!", said BJP IT Cell President Amit Malviya in a tweet.
Malviya is also the party's co-incharge for West Bengal.
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