Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched the feet of BJP veteran Makhan Lal Sarkar during a swearing-in ceremony in Kolkata on Saturday [3].

The gesture occurred at the Brigade Parade Ground during the oath-taking ceremony for Suvendu Adhikari, the new BJP chief minister of West Bengal. By honoring Sarkar, Modi highlighted the party's historical continuity and its ideological roots in the region.

Sarkar, whose age is reported between 97 [1] and 98 [2], is a former aide to Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. He was present during Mukherjee's last journey and is regarded as one of the oldest workers in the party. Modi hugged the veteran and sought his blessings in a moment that witnesses described as emotional.

Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya said Sarkar has a history of resilience and defiance. He noted that Sarkar once faced legal trouble but remained steadfast in his convictions.

"He refused to apologise in Court," Bhattacharya said. "He sang the same song in the Court and the judge asked to get him a first class ticket" [1].

The event served as a symbolic bridge between the party's founding era and its current political trajectory in West Bengal. The presence of Sarkar, a direct link to the era of Mukherjee, provided a visual representation of the BJP's long-term presence in the state.

“Modi touched the feet of BJP veteran Makhan Lal Sarkar during a swearing-in ceremony in Kolkata.”

The public display of deference toward Makhan Lal Sarkar is a strategic effort to legitimize the BJP's current governance in West Bengal by anchoring it to the party's founding figures. By linking the new administration of Suvendu Adhikari to the legacy of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, the party emphasizes ideological purity and historical endurance to consolidate its base in the state.