Who Is Makhanlal Sarkar? The 98-Year-Old Veteran Whose Feet PM Modi Touched During Suvendu's Oath Ceremony (X)
Kolkata: During the swearing-in ceremony of Suvendu Adhikari as the Chief Minister of West Bengal on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hugged and took the blessings of 98-year-old BJP veteran Makhanlal Sarkar by touching his feet.
Before the oath-taking ceremony of Suvendu Adhikari at Kolkata's iconic Brigade Parade Ground, an emotional moment was captured at the event, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated and sought the blessings of Makhanlal Sarkar, one of the BJP's most senior workers in West Bengal.
The emotional gesture happened just before Suvendu Adhikari's oath-ceremony as West Bengal's first ever BJP Chief Minister, in the presence of senior BJP leaders, CMs of other states and hundreds of party workers as well as supporters.
VIDEO | Kolkata | PM Modi felicitates and takes blessings of Makhanlal Sarkar, one of the senior-most BJP workers in West Bengal. He was arrested in Kashmir while accompanying Shyama Prasad Mookerjee during the movement to hoist the Indian tricolour there in 1953.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 9, 2026
At the age of… pic.twitter.com/m2anJPexBN
PM Modi hugged Makhanlal Sarkar warmly before bowing down and touching his feet to seek his blessings, which drew loud applause from the audience present at the venue.
Reacting to the emotional gesture by PM Modi Makhanlal Sarkar's wife said that, "I am very happy that my husband has been honored by the Prime Minister today... He has been with the RSS since he was 16 years old and he is very particular about attending the 'shakha' everyday..."
VIDEO | Siliguri, West Bengal: Makhanlal Sarkar's wife says, "I am very happy that my husband has been honored by the Prime Minister today... He has been with the RSS since he was 16 years old and he is very particular about attending the 'shakha' everyday..."
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 9, 2026
(Full video… https://t.co/hEYgslmZOy pic.twitter.com/WJiYRPq4u7
While sharing his emotional, Sarkar's son Maniklal Sarkar said that, "I was teary-eyed on seeing the respect my father got. The Prime Minister and the BJP did not forget about my father. Even my father felt extremely happy. At this age he was taken to the stage and felicitated."
VIDEO | Siliguri, West Bengal: Makhanlal Sarkar's son Maniklal Sarkar says, "I was teary-eyed on seeing the respect my father got. The Prime Minister and the BJP did not forget about my father. Even my father felt extremely happy. At this age he was taken to the stage and… https://t.co/hEYgslmZOy pic.twitter.com/YtgO6ulGbX
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 9, 2026
In 1952, Makhanlal Sarkar was arrested in Kashmir while accompanying Shyama Prasad Mukherjee during a movement to hoist the Indian tricolor there. At 98 years old, Makhanlal Sarkar remains one of the earliest grassroots figures associated with the nationalist movement in post-independence India.
Makhanlal Sarkar, who is a resident of Siliguri, was an associate of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. He was arrested by the Congress-led Delhi Police for singing a nationalist song. He refused to apologize in court. He sang the same song in court, and the judge ordered him to be given a first-class ticket and Rs 100 for travel back home.
After the BJP's formation in 1980, he became the organizational coordinator for the West Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri, and Darjeeling districts. Within just one year, he helped enroll nearly 10,000 party workers. From 1981 onwards, he served as district president for seven consecutive years, an extraordinary achievement at a time when BJP leaders typically could not hold the same organizational position for more than two years.
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