India, May 9 -- West Bengal witnessed a historic political moment on Saturday as Bharatiya Janata Party strongman Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the saffron party's first Chief Minister in the state. However, amid the grandeur of the ceremony, the spotlight also fell on a 97-year-old BJP veteran whose presence on stage drew special attention - and even prompted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to warmly embrace him and seek his blessings by touching his feet.

The man at the centre of the emotional moment was veteran BJP worker Makhan Lal Sarkar, a resident of Siliguri.

The crowd erupted in cheers as Modi hugged Sarkar and bowed before him in a rare public display of respect for one of the party's oldest grassroots leaders.

Sarkar remains on...