In a show of might ahead of 2021 assembly polls, Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah on Sunday held a roadshow in Bolpur area of Birbhum district.

The roadshow, which began around 3.10 pm from Dakbunglow grounds here, is set to culminate at Bolpur Chowrasta More.

Shah, standing on top of a decked-up lorry along with state BJP president Dilip Ghosh, was seen waving to the crowd, as saffron party supporters raised 'Jai Shri Ram', 'Narendra Modi Zindabad' and 'Amit Shah Zindabad' slogans.

Hundreds of people, standing on both sides of the road, cheered the home minister as he made his way through the crowd.

Amit Shah arrived at Santiniketan this morning and proceeded to pay homage to Rabindranath Tagore during a visit to the Vishva-Bharati, crediting the Nobel laureate for turning Shantiniketan into a centre for cultural exchanges.

He said, "As the Vishva-Bharati nears its centenary year, Tagore's teachings should spread across the world, helping Indian knowledge and culture achieve international acclaim through his works."

"Tagore has not only enriched the philosophy and literature of India but also made Shantiniketan a base for connecting Indian culture with that of many other countries," Shah told reporters at the end of his two-hour-long visit to the central university.

He said the bard's teachings point to the fact that the purpose of education is to overcome narrowness and know the truth.

He then visited the residence of a 'Baul' singer (sufi genre folk music of Bengal) here to have a typical Bengali lunch.

Shah listened with rapt attention as Basudeb Das Baul and his family sang a popular folk song 'Tomay Hrid Majhare Rakhbo' (will keep you at the bottom of our hearts) with 'ektara' (one-stringed musical instrument) after the BJP heavyweight arrived at the baul's modest residence, 'Manohardham Kutir', in Ratanpally area of Santiniketan in Birbhum district.

Shah, accompanied by senior leaders Kailash Vijayvargiya, Mukul Roy, Dilip Ghosh, Rahul Sinha, Anupam Hazra, had lunch at Baul's residence, sitting on the floor of the house.

Shah savoured the delicacies - 'palong saak', 'alu posto', 'begun bhaja', 'nolen gurer payes' and 'nalen gurer rosogolla' - along with other BJP leaders.

Shah also offered puja at the family Shiva temple.

Das said, "we are privileged that such an important person visited our residence. We are overjoyed".

Tight security arrangements were made and members of the media and other party leaders were kept outside the house, and Shah's security personnel checked the premises repeatedly.

On Saturday, the BJP leader had lunch at the house of a farmer in Paschim Medinipur district as part of his exercise to strengthen relations with the common people ahead of the assembly elections in the state, due in April-May next year.

During his November visit to the state, he had lunch at the residence of a tribal BJP worker in Bankura and the house of a Matua community member in North 24 Parganas.