India condemns Rabindra Kachharibari incident

India today condemned the vandalisation of the Rabindra Kachharibari in Sirajganj's Shahjadpur upazila on June 8 and urged Bangladesh's interim government to take strict action against the perpetrators.

Replying to a question at the weekly media briefing, Indian Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We strongly condemn the despicable attack and the vandalisation of the ancestral home of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore by a mob on June 8, 2025.

"The violent act is a disgrace to the memory and the inclusive philosophy and the teachings that the Nobel laureate espoused in Bangladesh.

"The attack falls in the broad pattern of systematic attempts by extremists to raze the symbols of tolerance and eviscerate the syncretic culture and the cultural Legacy of Bangladesh.

"We urge the interim government [of Bangladesh] to rein in the terrorists and take strict action against the perpetrators to prevent reoccurrence of such incidents that sadly have become a repetitive feature."

On Tuesday, some local miscreants broke a number of things on the Rabindra Kachharibari premises. The incident stemmed from a quarrel between the staff and a local visitor over motorcycle parking on Sunday, police and locals said.

The attackers, mostly young men, broke open the entrance around 11:30am and vandalised the auditorium, doors, and windows, said Habibur Rahman, custodian of the Kachharibari.

The mansion, which houses a memorial museum named after the Nobel laureate, remained unharmed, he said.

Responding to a query, Jaiswal said, "I have repeatedly said from this forum that India wants a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh, which is anchored in the aspirations of the peoples of the two countries."

Asked on Indian media reports that ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy had visited Delhi to be with his mother for Eid-ul-Azha recently, the MEA spokesperson said, "I have no information on this to share with you or confirmation."