BJP president JP Nadda is on a two-day visit to West Bengal. (File)
West Bengal's ruling party Trinamool Congress has objected to BJP President JP Nadda holding a political meeting on the National Library premises in Kolkata. Mr Nadda is on a two-day visit to the state. Jay Prakash Majumdar, who recently switched from the BJP to Trinamool Congress and is now its state vice-president, said the rules of the library do not allow the premises to be used for political purposes. He questioned the decision of the authorities to allow it.
"This is a backdoor entry, since this is an institution governed by the Centre. It's a heritage location and protected place. They are bending the rules by applying for permission in the name of a social organisation," Mr Majumdar said.
The BJP is holding its state executive committee meeting Wednesday evening at the library. NDTV reached out to the library Director General's office for a statement on the phone and over email, but no response was received till the filing of this report.
Mr Nadda, meanwhile, is using his visit also to address dissatisfaction within the BJP. His visit comes after two BJP MPs, Babul Supriyo and Arjun Singh, quit the party to join the Trinamool Congress. On Wednesday, the BJP president visited Chinsurah and Chandannagar, assembly segments in party MP Locket Chatterjee's constituency, Hooghly. There was speculation recently about Locket Chatterjee's future in the BJP, but she was with Mr Nadda at the events.
BJP MP Saumitra Khan told reporters earlier in the day, "We are having very important meetings to ensure we have results in 2024 under the guidance of Mr JP Nadda."
After visiting the Vande Mataram Bhavan in Chinsurah, Mr Nadda paid tribute to writer Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. "He spent five years of his life here and wrote a lot of his compositions here. I am privileged to visit such a place... Our national song, which became a freedom anthem, was composed on the land along the banks of Ganga or Hooghly river."
Mr Nadda refused to take any questions at the venue.