Nitin Nabin goofs up, says Rabindranath Tagore received Nobel "Peace"; sparks controversy

A statement by BJP national president Nitin Nabin claiming that Rabindranath Tagore received the Nobel Peace Prize has triggered a major political controversy in West Bengal. The remark was made on Wednesday while he was addressing the Burdwan division workers’ conference in Durgapur.

During his speech, Nabin said that Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore introduced a new education system to the country and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for it. The statement soon went viral on social media, drawing sharp reactions and widespread criticism.

The ruling Trinamool Congress, along with the CPM and the Congress, strongly criticised the BJP leader, accusing him of distorting historical facts. Opposition leaders mocked the comment and questioned the BJP’s understanding of Bengal’s cultural and intellectual legacy.

Nabin was addressing party workers while inaugurating the ‘Kamal Mela’ at Rajiv Gandhi Maidan in Durgapur, where he invoked several iconic Bengali figures such as Raja Rammohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Uttam Kumar and Satyajit Ray in an apparent attempt to connect with Bengali voters ahead of the Assembly elections.

Later in the day, the BJP national president also held a closed-door strategy meeting with senior state leaders to discuss organisational strengthening and electoral planning. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, former state president Dilip Ghosh, Dr Sukanta Majumdar and Rahul Sinha were among those present.