Zealous attempts were visible from both the Trinamul Congress and the BJP to observe the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda on Tuesday and the rival parties accused each other of political opportunism in seeking refuge in the legacy of one of Bengal’s foremost icons.
The day began with tweets from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, lauding the 19th century monk instrumental in popularising Vedantic and Yogic philosophies in the Occident.
As the day progressed, it became increasingly clear that Trinamul’s focus was on Vivekananda’s inclusive, global humanism, while the BJP was more attentive towards his role in the Hindu revivalism at the peak of the British Raj.