Center Tells Santiniketan To Remove Plaques That Don’t Have Tagore’s But Modi’s Name

KOLKATA, (IANS) – India’s Education Ministry has asked the authorities of Visva Bharati University, founded by Rabindranath Tagore at Santiniketan, to remove the ‘controversial’ plaques commemorating UNESCO awarding World Heritage Site status to Santiniketan from the university campus, since the name of Tagore is not inscribed on them.

A university insider confirmed that a communication in this regard has come from the Education Ministry, seeking immediate removal of three plaques, which have the names of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who’s the Chancellor of the central university, and former Vice Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty inscribed on them, but not Tagore’s.

As per the insider, the ministry has directed the university authorities to replace the plaques with the ones having the name of Tagore as the founder inscribed on them.

The controversial plaques sans Tagore’s name had created ripples in the political circles of the state, with leaders cutting across party lines condemning their installation.

Both Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari had urged the Union government to replace the plaques with those having the name Tagore inscribed on them.