A very emotional scene of Suvendu Adhikari’s oath-taking took place when PM Modi touched the feet of 98-year-old BJP stalwart Makhanlal Sarkar at the oath-taking ceremony.
This act immediately raised curiosity among the common people about the identity of Makhanlal Sarkar and his significance for the BJP in Bengal. People also started questioning whether he was an MLA or not.
It appears that Mr. Sarkar is no MLA and is considered one of the oldest and most respectable grassroots-level workers of the BJP whose work contributed to the ideological evolution of the party in West Bengal.
Who Is Makhanlal Sarkar?
Makhanlal Sarkar has been identified as one of the most veteran BJP workers in West Bengal due to his longstanding connection with the ideology of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and subsequently, the BJP.
According to various media sources, he was one of the closest friends of Syama Prasad Mukherjee, who founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which served as a political parent body for the BJP.
Due to his lengthy involvement with the political group and the strong bond he had maintained with it, he became an iconic figure in the BJP.
Why Did PM Modi Touch His Feet?
The incident sparked discussions owing to its being considered an uncommon expression of respect towards a member of a grassroots party by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself.
While administering the oath of allegiance to Mr. Suvendu Adhikari, it is reported that PM Modi approached Makhanlal Sarkar, touched his feet, and asked for blessings. This incident caused great uproar amongst the people present at the event and soon went viral on social media platforms.
It is said that this incident holds significant symbolic value regarding acknowledging the contribution of members of the old generation of BJP activists in building up the party’s electoral base in West Bengal.
Is Makhanlal Sarkar Also an MLA?
There are no records to indicate that Makhanlal Sarkar was an MLA or any kind of elected representative.
Rather, he has been portrayed as an experienced organizational worker who was ideologically affiliated with the BJP’s growth within Bengal across many years.
This is one of the reasons why this event acquired an added emotional value since it emphasized the contribution of party workers instead of just elected representatives.
Why the Moment Became Politically Significant
The gesture carried symbolic weight because it happened during a historic political transition in West Bengal.
The swearing-in ceremony marked the formation of the BJP’s first government in Bengal under Suvendu Adhikari, making the event politically historic for the party.
In that context, PM Modi touching the feet of a 98-year-old party veteran was widely interpreted as a message about organizational legacy, ideological continuity, and respect for long-term political workers.
His Connection to Syama Prasad Mukherjee
Some accounts explicitly refer to the connection between Makhanlal Sarkar and Syama Prasad Mukherjee.
Mukherjee continues to be one of the BJP’s key ideologues, especially in the context of Bengali politics. The formation of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh by him plays an integral part in the party’s history.
Since Sarkar was known to have operated in that political milieu, he became someone linked directly to the early years of the BJP in West Bengal.
Why Social Media Reacted So Strongly
The picture of India’s Prime Minister touching the feet of an old party worker was a touching sight for many people, regardless of whether they were political or non-political.
While some social media users believed that it was an act of humility, others saw it as sending a clear message on how to respect party workers who laid the foundation years back without any election victories.
In no time, the video was one of the top shares during the Bengal swearing-in ceremony.
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Conclusion
While Makhanlal Sarkar is certainly not an MLA or any such prominent political figure, years of service with the BJP have earned him respect within the BJP fold.
With Prime Minister Modi’s symbolic act of bowing to an old worker at the swearing-in ceremony in Bengal, the attention of the nation has been drawn to one of the BJP’s oldest grassroots leaders.
Occasionally, in politics, the greatest acts of power are not about speeches or elections; sometimes they are simply about remembering those who built the movement itself over many decades.
