Who is Makhan Lal Sarkar ? 98-year-old BJP veteran whose feet PM touched at Bengal CM oath event
When Sarkar greeted him at the venue, Modi touched the elderly leader’s feet and hugged him, which received loud applause from supporters.
PTC News Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared an emotional moment with 98-year-old BJP worker Makhan Lal Sarkar during the swearing-in ceremony of Suvendu Adhikari in Kolkata on Saturday.
When Sarkar greeted him at the venue, Modi touched the elderly leader’s feet and hugged him, which received loud applause from supporters. The Prime Minister was also seen taking Sarkar’s blessings on stage.
Despite being 98 years old, Sarkar is still remembered as one of the early grassroots workers linked to the nationalist movement after Independence. In 1952, he was arrested in Kashmir while accompanying Syama Prasad Mukherjee during a movement to hoist the Indian national flag there.
After the BJP was formed in 1980, Sarkar became the party’s organisational coordinator for West Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts. Within a year, he helped add nearly 10,000 members to the party. From 1981, he served continuously for seven years as district president, which was considered a major achievement in the BJP at the time.
PM Modi reached Brigade Parade Ground to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the BJP’s first government in West Bengal, marking the end of 15 years of Trinamool Congress rule in the state.
Accompanied by state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya and Chief Minister, Modi received a grand welcome as supporters raised slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” across the venue.
The Prime Minister arrived in an open vehicle, waving to thousands of supporters who had gathered since morning for the ceremony. He landed at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport shortly before 10 am, then travelled by helicopter to the Race Course grounds before heading to the ceremony venue by road.