Union Minister Calls Rabindranath Tagore 'Dark-Skinned', Receives Backlash

Union Minister Subhas Sarkar on August 18 stated that Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore's mother did not cradle him in her arms in childhood because he was "dark-skinned". The Minister made these comments during his visit to Visva Bharati, the university founded by Tagore. BJP defended the Minister, saying his comments were against racism. However, former Vice-Chancellor of the university, Pabitra Sarkar said, such remarks are unexpected from an Education Minister.